­
How to retrieve an older version of an Excel spreadsheet — ICT & Computing in Education
  • Front Page
  • Search
    • Digital Education
    • Terry Freedman's Books Bulletin
  • RSS
    • Welcome
    • The "About" Page
    • Testimonials
    • CV/Resumé
    • My Writing
    • Published articles
  • Corrections Policy
Menu

ICT & Computing in Education

Articles on education technology and related topics
  • Front Page
  • Search
  • Newsletters
    • Digital Education
    • Terry Freedman's Books Bulletin
  • RSS
  • Info
    • Welcome
    • The "About" Page
    • Testimonials
    • CV/Resumé
    • My Writing
    • Published articles
  • Corrections Policy
The scream by Terry Freedman

The scream by Terry Freedman, with apologies to E.Munch.

How to retrieve an older version of an Excel spreadsheet

February 8, 2022

Someone we know was in a bit of a panic recently because he had mistakenly deleted part of his Excel spreadsheet, and then saved over it. Was there, he wanted to know, a way of getting back the spreadsheet as it was before he made those ill-advised changes?

As it happens, there often is. Therefore, in case you or one of your colleagues or students experiences a similar mishap, here is a set of instructions that may work. I say “may” because it will depend on factors like which version of Excel you’re using. Also, I don’t know if these will work on a school network. (But if the network administrator is backing up the files every night then he or she may be able to retrieve the older file from the backup.) Nevertheless, it would not be a bad idea to save a copy of your current (incorrect) version before you start, just in case it goes even more wrong.

This is based on the Office 365 version of Excel; I’m not sure if this will work on older versions. If you have an older version, look in the Help for “version history”.

First of all, go to File->Browse Version History, as shown here:

Next, click on Browse Version History. You will see something like this on the screen:

Select a version from before you changed it. You will see that the version is Read Only, and the file you’re working on is unchanged, and the old version has been given a different name:

This message will also appear near the top of the screen:

And in case you need further reassurance, if you look in the Windows menu, you will see the current file and the old version are both open:

I hope you have found this article useful.


If you found this article interesting or useful (or both), why not subscribe to my free newsletter, Digital Education? It’s been going since the year 2000, and has slow news, informed views and honest reviews for Computing and ed tech teachers — and useful experience-based tips.

In Tips for teachers Tags Excel, version history, retrieval
← Quick look: The self-taught computer scientistThe benefits of an open door classrooms policy →
Recent book reviews
Backlist: The Written World
Backlist: The Written World

Writing was invented ‘only’ a few thousand years ago. It’s a fascinating story.

Read More →
Backlist: What I'm reading: Bounce
Backlist: What I'm reading: Bounce

What does it take to become an expert? And what can the Computing teacher do about it?

Read More →
Backlist: The Fourth Education Revolution
Backlist: The Fourth Education Revolution

The title of this book invites curiosity: what were the other three ‘revolutions?

Read More →
A book review for your English department colleagues perhaps
A book review for your English department colleagues perhaps

Some of these stories are so richly told, it can almost seem as though you’re right there with him.

Read More →
Review: Pen Names
Review: Pen Names

OK, so this has nothing to do with education technology, but we all read (I hope!). A very interesting examination of the pen names some authors have adopted, and why.

Read More →
Review: The Library of Ancient Wisdom: Mesopotamia and the Making of History
Review: The Library of Ancient Wisdom: Mesopotamia and the Making of History

There's a really interesting section in this book about how ceramic storage of data and information is probably the most likely medium to stand the test of time.

Read More →
A book review for your biology colleagues perhaps
A book review for your biology colleagues perhaps

The subject under discussion here is how human physiology has developed in different ways, in response to different conditions around the world.

Read More →
Review: Social Media for Academics
Review: Social Media for Academics

This book is very readable, and if I sound surprised that is because it’s not always true of academics!

Read More →
Quick looks: VIBE Coding by Example
Quick looks: VIBE Coding by Example

For the time being, this book is free in Kindle format.

Read More →
Review: The Game Changers: How Playing Games Changed the World and Can Change You Too
Review: The Game Changers: How Playing Games Changed the World and Can Change You Too

Despite the relative paucity of immediately obvious National Curriculum links, teachers will find several of sections of this book to be highly engaging.

Read More →
Dig+Ed+Banner.jpg

Contact us

Privacy

Cookies

Terms and conditions

This website is powered by Squarespace

(c) Terry Freedman All Rights Reserved