Hi,

I was writing a report for work a few days ago and need to retrieve it, but can't find it anywhere. I know my husband often uses a "My Recent Documents" file or whatever it is, but I don't know how to access that. But it's the most obvious way of tracking down my Assessment report. Hubby's not contactable at the moment, so I wondered if anyone could tell me how to access the My Recent Documents section. I use Windows XP if that makes a difference.

Fingers crossed someone can help. The thought of having to start again writing it from scratch is just toooooo dire to think about.

Ambs x

Was it written in MS Word? If so, opening Word, then selecting Open, should allow you to access a "My Recent Documents" area. Of course, even if you were using Word, this could depend entirely on which version it is...

You might find it easier, therefore, to run a file search. This is selected through the "Start" menu and "Search", usually somewhere on the right hand side, and provides a number of options to help you find files. Entering the date of last modified usually helps prevent you sitting there all day while it goes through your entire hard drive.

Good luck tracking it down. I have a habit of editing forwarded documents, and saving them in temporary internet folders, which has made me very good at tracking files down. Yell if my instructions aren't clear enough!

I have my recent documents on the menu list on the START button, I just click on it, but you may have to first install it on the start menu if it does not appear there.

Have a look first, if it's not there I'll see if I can remember how to get it added to the menu.

The other alternative is to use 'search' if you can remember what you called it?

Edit: To use 'search' right click on the start button, and then click search - you will get a dialogue box and possibly a helpful sniffer dog to help you find it.

Hi Jane

Many thanks for that. It was in Word, so I clicked on that and found the recent list like you said. However it's only showing the last four documents, and my guess is it's probably seventh or eight down the list. Is there any way of expanding that list, (because I can't remember how exactly I titled it and I've tried experimenting with the Search thingummy but got nowhere).

You're a genius!



Ambs
x

Unless you get rid of it, recent documents should automatically appear in START -> DOCUMENTS

You could also try looking at the default save location of the programme you used. Say, if its Word, go to FILE -> SAVE AS and see which folder comes up and go look in that folder

Hope you find it!

Do you have "my recent documents" on your menu when you click on the START button in windows (you know the button you click when you want to stop )

Update:

If you don't you can add it like this.

Right click the START button
Select 'properties'
select 'customize'
Click on 'advanced' tab
Tick the box at the bottom to display recent oopened documents
Click on OK

Then try the START menu again. Not sure if it will only start displaying them from now, which wont help you find the dicument though.

I don't know of any way to expand the recent documents list, but in 'Search' you may have more sucess by going into 'advanced options' and checking the boxes for things such as 'hidden files and folders' and 'subfolders'. Search is a bit useless without these boxes checked, to be honest...

Arghh I've got that sinking feeling that I'm not going to be able to find it. I've made the changes to the Start menu as you suggested, so I'm sure it will all be ticketyboo for the future. But as you say, it doesn't help the past.

It's just so frustrating to think that if I could only see a bit further down that list in the Word menu I'm sure it must be in there.

And now I'm dead curious to find out what I did actually save it under and where. I've tried looking everywhere. I'm sure I saved it, because I remember going back and adding bits to it, so it must be saved somewhere.

Try search again and try putting a date in to modify the search

Right click start
Select search (and get the dog!)
Where it says 'look in' click on the drop down box and slect your hard drive (c drive most likely)
Click on 'when was it modified' and select 'within the past week' or if you know more precisely you can enter a date


If that doesn't find it try again but open the advanced options and click on 'search hidden files' and 'subfiles' in case it is in a temp folder somewhere.

Good luck - it must be there somewhere!!

If you open a new word document or whatever program you used and click 'save as' should that not show you where the pc normally saves to by default? edit- Oh sorry Pantera!

Or have you been crafty and saved it somewhere safe? Like, really safe - so not even you can find it. You should apply for a job at the MOD - then it would turn up on a train very soon

Hope you get it sorted out

Thank you both for that suggestion. It's very kindly showed me where my son filed his R.E. homework last night!

I don't believe it. I'm sitting here in angst, tearing my hair out, and you actually made me laugh out loud.

Thanks!

The advanced search thingy is shining it's torch, so fingers crossed. Thank you Jane for your middle-aged-and-blonde-proof instructions...... much required!

It would only show you where you saved the last thing you saved. However it might be the same place.
And if Amber thinks about where she saved the document she was using BEFORE the one she has lost then it might jog her memory for where this one is (clutching at straws now!!!)



Hehe

FOUND IT!!!!!

Thank you, you technogenii!

Phew!

Can't tell you how relieved I am.

Hurrah!!!

It's amazing what you learn on a music forum isn't it!!

Lol!

Yes, I've learned all sorts of things about all sorts of things!