Tech Tips for Writers is an (almost) weekly post on overcoming Tech Dread. I’ll cover issues that friends, both real-time and virtual, have shared. Feel free to post a comment about a question you have. I’ll cover it in a future Tip.
Q: Friends sometimes save a blank document over their MS Word file. How? None of the reasons make sense, but the fact that this is a big problem when it does–does. Is there any way to retrieve the copied-over document?
A: Absolutely, though I know from experience this isn’t always available. Still, it’s worth the try:
Bring the file folder up in Windows Explorer (the left side of the drive’s file listing). Right click on the file name for the lost Word file and select ‘Restore previous version’. Select the latest version that’s not today.
Every time I do this, I’m a hero for ten minutes.
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Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman
worddreams.wordpress.com 
Another great tip, Jacqui, thanks. I know about Undo, but this one I’ve never tried. The right click button is very nifty sometimes.
Of course, I’m such a dink, I didn’t even understand the problem till I read it three times!
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I much prefer keyboard shortcuts to toolbar icons. They’re so much easier to find.
I need to email you–set up our coffee. As usual, time has tumbled past me.
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Don’t forget about “undo” – of course, that doesn’t work if you close out after you save.
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Ah, Ctrl+Z. I teach that as young as kindergarten. It too is a life-saver, and a lot more often than this trick.
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I think I’ve unwritten entire paragraphs with undo. Sometimes it’s hard to stop – I find the undos come easier when I’m on the fence about what I’ve written. Then I can truthfully say to myself, “I didn’t erase all the hard work I just put on the page, it was never there to begin with.”
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Like that attitude! I think I’ll adopt it.
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Sometimes I click that X when I shouldn’t have. This is a great tip.
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Word needs that nifty ‘re-open closed tab’ that’s on browsers. I use that more than I will ever confess to.
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Reblogged this on quirkywritingcorner.
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Thanks for the reblog!
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What a great recourse you are 🙂
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Really? Amazing. Must file this for future mistakes. 🙂 Thank you, Jacqui.
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I have students at least weekly who save a blank document over their work. It’s heart-breaking. This saves some of them.
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I bet. 🙂
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will peruse this more thoroughly soon Jacqui thanks – looks like a great tip!
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It’s best consumed when you’ve lost a document!
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Thanks, Jacqui. I’d never noticed that option before. I suspect it will come in very handy in the near future.
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It’s always worth a try though I suspect it’s worked less than half the time for me. Still, to a 5th grader who just lost a book report, it’s a miracle.
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If you did that for me you’d be a hero for at least 15 minutes…
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I wish it worked every time. Sadly, no joy.
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It’s so nice to have a go to gal for our tech problems. Thanks, Jacqui!
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I do get lots of how-to questions on my other site, Ask a Tech Teacher. About half the time, I end up Googling them for an answer.
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