Cant find Saved Excel File in Outlook Temp Folder

[Steve Krause]

Question from Reader - Email Form

 

Tom said:

I have outlook 2007 & Winxp pro, received an email with an excel wookbook, opened and added data to workbook all day, (during day i closed the email the attachment had come in but kept workbook open) and repeatedly saved workbook. Closed workbook expecting it would be in "my documents", no trace of the file anywhere, no OLK folder, no sign of file in local settings/temporary internet files. i do have the entry "OutlookSecureTempFolder" under the registry HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Outlook\Security

 

I can't find the cached version of the file anywhere, I have show hidden files/folders enabled.

 

I do have autosave enabled.

 

Hi Tom,

 

Ouch. I know how it feels losing a days worth of work. The worst part is when you have to recreate what you've already done.

 

To answer your question, when you found the Entry "OutlookSecureTempFolder" what was the path in the DATA column? I assume you reviewed this post here to find it. It looks like you found the registry key entry so your more than 1/2 way there. Find that key again and you should have the path to your OLK folder and your Excel should be sitting there.

 

Now the path might be a bit confusing because with Outlook 2007, there actually is "NOT" an OLK folder. For instance, on my XP/Outlook 2007 install, my OLK folder or "Temp Outlook Folder" / "OutlookSecureTempFolder" is:

 

c:\Documents and Settings\mrgroove\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.Outlook\4V32TZLP

 

So if you look on your box you will find what your looking for in the "Content.Outlook" folder. Take a look there and your golden.

 

More reading can be found here also on the Outlook OLK folder location:

http://www.groovypost.com/howto/microsoft/outlook/find-the-microsoft-outlook-temporary-olk-folder/

 

Thnx!

[tomt]

Thanks for your reply to my email message.

 

The problem I had was that my registry string ended with:

"c:\Documents and Settings\"username"\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.outlook

 

However, there was no name for the Outlooksecuretempfolder file shown and also no evidence of any folder called "Content.outlook" under \Temporary Internet Files\ !!

 

Here's how I found the files after some added research:

First, knowing your version of windows, select from the below address strings:

 

Windows XP

C:\documents and settings\%username%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.Outlook

 

Windows Vista

C:\Users\%username%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.Outlook

 

Copy/paste the appropriate string into your “Start” -> “Run” command in XP or Vista, click OK and you will see your missing folder! (to add the “run” command to your Vista Start bar, right-click on Start button -> properties -> customize -> scroll down and select “Run command” -> OK)

 

Once you find the very hidden Outlook secure temp folder (and your missing files) copy the complete folder’s string address from the address bar and make a desktop shortcut to the Outlook secure temp folder.

 

Now go to your desktop, right-click your mouse, select -> New -> Shortcut -> paste in the folder address -> name the folder -> click OK You now have a shortcut on your desktop to your hidden outlook email attachment files !!!

 

As postscript to this info, if you go to your registry key :

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Outlook\Security

 

In the right hand view pane should be an entry called "OutlookSecureTempFolder"

IF... you double-click that entry to open edit mode, you will find your outlook temp folder's address string, which can be copied and pasted into your address bar.

[Steve Krause]

Thanks for your reply to my email message.

 

Anytime! Call me crazy but.... I love this stuff AND, I love helping people. Glad to hear things worked out for you! It's always a huge accomplishment for me to help someone out and get them up and running again. Anything else comes up, let us know!

 

As postscript to this info, if you go to your registry key :

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Outlook\Security

 

In the right hand view pane should be an entry called "OutlookSecureTempFolder"

IF... you double-click that entry to open edit mode, you will find your outlook temp folder's address string, which can be copied and pasted into your address bar.

 

Groovy information and VERY simple to understand! Thanks documenting this as well as the desktop shortcut! It will defiantly help other groovyPost readers. The How-To Find the OLK / Outlook Temporary Folder post on groovyPost.com is my #1 article. It's a hot item out there that I get emails on constantly! So again, thanks!

[cavineet]

amazing stuff.. I saved 2-3 hrs of rework.. Moreover original thoughts are the best

[Steve Krause]

amazing stuff.. I saved 2-3 hrs of rework.. Moreover original thoughts are the best

 

Thank you for the feedback and welcome to the groovyCommunity!

 

Hope to see you around! Spread the word!

[mrtuba9]

Thanks folks! This saved me a ton of time! Looking forward to browsing this site too!

 

Bob

Normal, IL USA

[Steve Krause]

Thanks folks! This saved me a ton of time! Looking forward to browsing this site too!

 

Bob

Normal, IL USA

 

Anytime Bob and welcome to the groovy Community!

[logit]

I registered at this site just to be able to login and say "THANKS" for these instructions.

 

Yea, the kicker on this is that the temporary Outlook folder can't be viewed in Explorer by simply scrolling down the "c:\documents and settings" hierarchy. It's hidden--no matter how liberal one makes one's Explorer settings. One has to first find the folder location from regedit and then paste that string into an Explorer address bar or, like the previous user said, from the Run... dialogue box. Great idea though to assign a shortcut to this folder (once you find it). Why in the world, Microsoft would make this folder so damn hard to find... I just don't get it.

 

You saved me a day's work!

[Steve Krause]

I registered at this site just to be able to login and say "THANKS" for these instructions.

 

Yea, the kicker on this is that the temporary Outlook folder can't be viewed in Explorer by simply scrolling down the "c:\documents and settings" hierarchy. It's hidden--no matter how liberal one makes one's Explorer settings. One has to first find the folder location from regedit and then paste that string into an Explorer address bar or, like the previous user said, from the Run... dialogue box. Great idea though to assign a shortcut to this folder (once you find it). Why in the world, Microsoft would make this folder so damn hard to find... I just don't get it.

 

You saved me a day's work!

 

Excellent! Thank you for the feedback! The site takes a lot of hard work so it's nice when we receive positive feedback (even negative feedback is ok as well if it's constructive).

 

Glad we were able to help out! Hope to see you around the site. Be sure to post any other computer questions you might have and tell your friends about the site!

[maddog1331]

I just wanted to say THANK YOU for the information in this post. I had the same problem, googled for an answer, and this came up. I just registered so I could say thanks (just like that other poster lol).....you guys rock!

[ashvee]

WOW! Thank you SO MUCH! I too registered just to express how grateful I am!

 

I had a call from my partner who has been working late this week... (at about 9:30pm) saying that he would probably be extremely late home because he'd done exactly the same thing as you described.

 

Luckily, I was able to locate this forum before he'd spent his entire night repeating the entire days work.

 

He called me a few minutes later to say that he had successfully recovered his work.

Thanks again! I am so, so glad that there are still kind people in this world who will share information and help others out. - and such good clear instructions too!

Really appreciate it!

[alexmvp]

WOW! Thank you SO MUCH! I too registered just to express how grateful I am!

 

I had a call from my partner who has been working late this week... (at about 9:30pm) saying that he would probably be extremely late home because he'd done exactly the same thing as you described.

 

Luckily, I was able to locate this forum before he'd spent his entire night repeating the entire days work.

 

He called me a few minutes later to say that he had successfully recovered his work.

Thanks again! I am so, so glad that there are still kind people in this world who will share information and help others out. - and such good clear instructions too!

Really appreciate it!

 

Awesome!

[Steve Krause]

WOW! Thank you SO MUCH! I too registered just to express how grateful I am!

 

I had a call from my partner who has been working late this week... (at about 9:30pm) saying that he would probably be extremely late home because he'd done exactly the same thing as you described.

 

Luckily, I was able to locate this forum before he'd spent his entire night repeating the entire days work.

 

He called me a few minutes later to say that he had successfully recovered his work.

Thanks again! I am so, so glad that there are still kind people in this world who will share information and help others out. - and such good clear instructions too!

Really appreciate it!

 

Very groovy! Thanks for the feedback and welcome to the community!

 

So often people surf around, find what they need and leave. I appreciate you taking the time to say thank you! Any other problems/answers, please feel free to join the discussion on the site and forum!

[puffy]

I also registered to say thank. My team mate was nearly in tears after forgetting to save her work to the drive so she says thanks also. The point about finding the temp folder through Run was essential - stupid Microsoft hiding files from us.

[Steve Krause]

I also registered to say thank. My team mate was nearly in tears after forgetting to save her work to the drive so she says thanks also. The point about finding the temp folder through Run was essential - stupid Microsoft hiding files from us.

 

Awesome! Great feedback! Be sure to post any other questions you might have here in the forum also!

[dennistlim]

i just wanted to say thank you, 8 hours of work saved. i am forever grateful!

[geethaksh]

I was almost in tears today to have lost my unsaved file...Thanks so muchhhhhh for this wonderful solution...

[shockersh]

I was almost in tears today to have lost my unsaved file...Thanks so muchhhhhh for this wonderful solution...

 

Welcome to the site Geethaksh!

[Nichevo]

This information did not help me (Windows XP 2003). The paths provided were not available. However, our local help desk gave me an easier tip. Re-open the e-mail that had the original file (or any e-mail with a similar file insert - In my case it was an excel file). Once the file is open, select the Save function. When the Save dialog box opens, it opens to the same place your previous file had been saved at - you should be able to see your previous file listed. Right click on your previously saved file and it will present you the option to Open it, as well as the option to Save As. You can then save it into the directory of your choice.

[k9hunt]

This post is almost getting me there! I've "lost" a Word document that I opened from Outlook. I have Windows Vista and I've opened my email through Outlook Web App. I went to the registry and found the key as mentioned above. But when I copy it and paste it into either the Explorer or the Run option I get error messages.

 

From Explorer I pasted in "C:\Users\Karen\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Content.Outlook\0DCTIFP6". I get back a message that says: Windows cannot find 'C:\Users\Karen\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Content.Outlook\'. Check the spelling and try again. Since I copied the string from the registry it isn't a spelling issue.

 

From the Run option I get a message: Windows cannot find 'C:\Users\Karen\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary'. Make sure you typed the name correctly, and try again."

 

I even drilled down through explorer myself (after unhidding all the system folders mentioned in earlier post). I can only get to the Temporary Internet Files. I can't find the "Content.Outlook".

 

Any suggestions??

[Shari]

C:\documents and settings\%username%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.Outlook

 

This is what I was missing to find my lost file! Imagine a post from Dec 2008 would be the thing to help me out in May 2011. I have Windows XP and had tried every other search under the sun, all the methods people tried to explain on, I swear, a hundred blogs. I found this and thought, what the heck, I have tried everything else. I popped that in there and voila! There was my beloved missing file. I was SUPER SUPER happy!! Thanks can't even convey my sense of happiness and relief!!

[TtheArab]

Like lots of other folk registered just to say thanks for this post. It just saved me from banging my head on the desk for the next 2 hrs.

Awesome post that years after the first response is still valid. Maybe Microsoft could learn something from it if we still have the same issue years later with their software ??? Just a weird and whacky thought.

Thanks again.

[jayneb59]

Thanks to Nichevo Nov 29 201 1:48 pm.

That's what worked for me and was really easy to do. What a relief!

Thanks again

[petern]

Thank you for a brilliant solution which has just saved me hours of effort and buckets of tears!!! There is no way I would ever have solved this problem myself. Thanks again.

[Steve Krause]

Thank you for a brilliant solution which has just saved me hours of effort and buckets of tears!!! There is no way I would ever have solved this problem myself. Thanks again.

 

Awesome - Glad the site was helpful. Hope to see you around groovyPost forums more often!