Computer problem. Need help plz

K

Karky

2
A friend of mine has a computer problem.

She opened a word file from the internet, without chosing "save as" just "open", she started writing in it, saving it as she went a long (without being asked anything like "where do you want to save" etc, it just saved, like it normally does when you have created a file on your PC). Then she closed the file. Now she can't find it. Shouldn't it be stored somewhere like her temporary internet files or something?

The operating system is Windows XP.

Hope someone can help!
 
Does she know the name of the file?

If she didn't name it and it's a word file it will have named itself the first few words in the first paragraph she wrote.

Try clicking on the start button then search for the file name and/or tyoe in the first few words she thinks she started writing in the file.
 
I think the only way she'd not get a prompt on where to save it would only be when she had originally opened the Word doc from an email. Was this the case? She should have gotten a popup screen even if she was clicking the "save" icon on the top left in Word unless the document was opened from an email.

Check the email with the original attachment if this was the case.
 
~LV~ said:
I think the only way she'd not get a prompt on where to save it would only be when she had originally opened the Word doc from an email. Was this the case? She should have gotten a popup screen even if she was clicking the "save" icon on the top left in Word unless the document was opened from an email.

Check the email with the original attachment if this was the case.
Click to expand...

Agreed. If she opened it from her email using a web browser as opposed to a program (outlook, thunderbird, ect.) on the PC it would automatically place itself in the temporary internet files or something to that extent and when saved would save in there, under some name the computer felt was appropriate.

This was a big issue when I was still in school as they started a webmail service for off campus students and they would frequently email themselves a document so that they could work on it in the library in a computer lounge. Many pages from many reports were lost in this fashion.
 
Hi Karky.

I don't know much about this things but I'm almost 100% sure that the file is in her hard drive. If she used the "save" icon, it will save the document on the hard drive, doesn't matter the origin.

The title will be the original file title or the first words on the document. Because she didn't specified where to save, it will be saved to the default location or, sometimes, Word will save it to the last preferred (used) location. She should write an experimental draft, click "save as" and see where her PC is storing word documents.

Also, tell her do change folder settings so she can see hidden files. She can do this by going to "My Computer --» Tools --» Folder Options --» View Tab and check "Show hidden files and folders".

If, by any chance, she did choose some weird saving location without realizing it, she can try a search for Word documents on her Hard drive. This is probably what you were asking for.

To do this, go to "Start--» Search --» documents" and type ".doc". She can also limit her search by time, say "search within the last week". After clicking search, every single Word file on the Hard drive will be listed. Even the hidden ones because she changed already the folder setting. Tell her not to forget to reset this to hide "hidden" files.

Hope this helps.
 
Ok well if she was using IE then it will most likely be in the 'c:\windows\temp\temporary internet files' folder.

Did she try a search for a document using the *.doc as the search term? she should set it to search all system and sub folders as well.
 
two ways to go about this

Open Word.
Then click open recent documents.
That should do it..

Or

start >>> my documents >>>>> then hit CTRL (COntrol) F This will bring up the find menu. She can look for documents by date, name, content, or just all documents.
 
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