Saved over file by mistake. Can I recover a previous save?

[Skydawn]

Worked on a file for over a week. While trying to start a new file, I deleted my text and saved to the new file name. However, when I opened my old file, all of the original text was gone. Is there any way to recover all of that? The Undo and Revert buttons are grayed out. I went into the cache folders but none of those files seem to make any sense. I did copy all of the text onto my clipboard yesterday. Would that be a part of the clipboard cache files?

[Barb Binder · Accepted solution]

The text could still be on the clipboard. Did you try pasting?

Are you working on a cloud server like dropbox, onedrive or creative cloud storage? All of these save versions of the file automatically and you could open one from before this one was wiped out. 

Do back up your drive daily? If so, you can get an older version off the back up drive.

What about using Time Machine if on a Mac?

If none of these options are available. at the very least you will understand why it is important to add them to your daily workflow. 

~Barb 

[Test Screen Name]

Yes, just use your backups. Or do you mean you don't make daily backups!! That's living dangerously. 

[Eugene Tyson · Accepted solution]

Depends if you restarted or not for the clipboard.

What OS? If windows check the 

Restoring Previous Versions of Files and Folders (Windows)

• Right-click the file or folder, and then click Restore previous versions. ...
• Before restoring a previous version of a file or folder, select the previous version, and then click Open to view it to make sure it's the version you want. ...
• To restore a previous version, select the previous version, and then click Restore.

If on a Mac - check if you have a backup using Time Machine

https://support.apple.com/en-ie/HT201250

Clipboard on Windows 10

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/clipboard-in-windows-10-c436501e-985d-1c8d-97ea-fe46ddf3....

Clipboard on Mac

https://setapp.com/how-to/how-to-view-clipboard-history-on-mac#:~:text=A%20Mac%20clipboard%20is%20on....

[BobLevine]

Most cloud storage services such as Dropbox and OneDrive automatically save every version of files. If you're working in one of them, you can go to the file online and restore a previous version.

If you're not working in one, then you just found out why you should be.

Edit: I see Barb already mentioned this.