By default, Microsoft Excel saves multiple versions of your workbook in the same file and sorts them based on date and time. This feature allows you to review or restore a previous version of your workbook whenever needed. Excel’s version history feature can be especially useful if you’ve accidentally made any changes to your workbook.
It’s important to note that the version history feature in Microsoft Excel only works for files stored in Microsoft OneDrive. This guide will walk you through the steps to view and restore previous versions of Excel desktop and web workbooks.
Note that the number of instances you can view varies depending on whether you have a personal or work/school Microsoft account. With a personal account, you can view up to 25 versions of Excel workbooks stored in OneDrive. For work or school accounts, the number of retrievable instances depends on your library configuration.
- 1 How to view version history in Microsoft Excel for PC or Mac
- 2 How to restore a previous version of a workbook in Microsoft Excel for PC or Mac
- 3 How to view version history in Microsoft Excel Online
- 4 How to restore a previous version of a workbook in Microsoft Excel Online
- 5 Safety net for spreadsheet risk
How to view version history in Microsoft Excel for PC or Mac
Accessing an older version of an Excel workbook on your PC or Mac takes just a few steps. Here’s how you can go about it.
Step 1: Launch the Microsoft Excel application on your computer and open the file for which you want to view the version history.
Step 2: Click the File menu in the top left corner.
Step 3: Navigate to the Info tab and click on the Version History option.
Alternatively, you can click the filename at the top and select Version History from the resulting menu.
Step 4: In the Version History panel that appears on your right, you’ll see different versions of your workbook. Click the version you want to view to open it in a separate Excel window. You can then copy the content from the previous version if you want.
How to restore a previous version of a workbook in Microsoft Excel for PC or Mac
Once you’ve gone through all the previous versions of an Excel workbook, you can easily revert to any of them and save as a separate file. Here’s how to do it.
Step 1: Launch Microsoft Excel on your PC or Mac and open the workbook.
Step 2: Click the File name at the top and select Version History from the resulting menu.
Step 3: In the Version History panel, select the version you want to restore.
Step 4: Click the Restore button at the top.
After restoring the instance, you can make the desired changes and save the Excel workbook as a separate file.
How to view version history in Microsoft Excel Online
Viewing the version history of a workbook in Microsoft Excel Online is similar to the version history on the desktop. Here are the steps you can follow.
Step 1: Open any web browser and go to Microsoft Excel for Web. Sign in with your Microsoft account and open the workbook for which you want to view version history.
Step 2: Click the File menu in the top left corner.
Step 3: Switch to the Info tab and click Version History.
Step 4: In the Version History panel, you’ll see the different versions of the workbook, along with the date, time, and author’s name.
Step 5: Select the version you want to see. The specified instance will open in the same window.
How to restore a previous version of a workbook in Microsoft Excel Online
After you find the previous version of the workbook that you want to use, you can restore that version and start working on it. Alternatively, you can download an earlier version of the workbook and edit it using the Excel desktop application. Here’s how to do both.
Step 1: Go to Excel for Web in your favorite browser and open your workbook.
Step 2: Click the filename at the top and select Version History from the menu that appears.
Step 3: In the Version History panel, find the version you want to use. Click the horizontal three-dot menu icon next to it and select Download to save the file on your computer and edit it using the desktop app.
Alternatively, you can restore to a previous version by clicking the Restore button at the top.
Safety net for spreadsheet risk
As you work on your Excel spreadsheets, they can go through many changes. Knowing how to view and restore previous versions of an Excel workbook can be useful in different situations. Additionally, you also have the option to restore an earlier version of a workbook directly from OneDrive.
Categories: How to
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