How to recover unsaved PowerPoint files on Mac [5 proven methods]

Important tip: Double-check that AutoSave is enabled, and make it a habit to save your work frequently. Trust me, I learned the hard way.

Last month, I fell into another dire situation (as always…LOL) when I almost lost a PPT on my Mac. I was numb at the thought of redoing the whole PPT, given the amount of work I put into it. Determined to recover my work, I searched and tried solutions online. Luckily, I found a couple of easy ways to recover an unsaved PowerPoint on Mac.

If you ever find yourself in the same boat, don’t worry. I’m sharing below how to recover a PowerPoint file that is not saved on a Mac.

Common reasons for losing PowerPoint files

In recent years, more than half (53%) of people in the UK have had to create presentations for work or personal reasons. That says a lot, meaning people face PPT losses quite often. Other than power outage, there are other potential reasons for losing PowerPoint files on your Mac, such as:

• Malware: Although Macs are safe, they’re not entirely immune to viruses and other malware that can infect your system and corrupt or delete your files without warning.
• Unexpected crashes: Unepxetced application errors or system failures can corrupt the PPT you are editing. So, make sure your system and applications are updated to the latest versions.
• Corrupt files: Even modern and advanced storage devices are not fully reliable, and your PPT or PPTX files can become corrupted or even disappear from your Mac. Read on best data recovery tools for Mac for better workflow. 
• Formatting your storage device: Just one wrong click can wipe out gigabytes of data. So, be extra careful when formatting your storage device, or you may lose your important PPT files.
• Power outage: Sudden power shutdowns lead to unsaved changes to your PPT files, especially if AutoSave isn’t enabled. So, I strongly recommend using a UPS to prevent abrupt shutdowns.
• Accidental deletion: You may accidentally hit delete when organizing your files or mistakenly drag them to the trash folder. If this happens, don’t panic — learn how to recover deleted files on Mac.

My top methods to recover unsaved PowerPoint files on Mac

From my research, I’ve figured out 5 methods for unsaved PowerPoint recovery on a Mac. Let’s check them out.

Method 1: Use Disk Drill to recover unsaved PPT files

Disk Drill is the first-rated data recovery app that can recover any kind of data regardless of the reason for the loss. Whether you’ve lost your PPT file due to data corruption, disk utility error, or unintended removal, Disk Drill is sure to help. The app has a user-friendly interface, making it easy for everyone to quickly recover lost data.

Simply follow these steps to use Disk Drill to recover unsaved PowerPoint files on your Mac:

1. Install and open DiskDrill on your Mac.
2. Choose the drive where your presentation was stored.
3. Click Search for lost files.
4. Filter the results by file type (PPT or PPTX).
5. Select files you want to recover > Recover.
6. Specify the recovery directory.

I’ve used Disk Drill to recover different types of files, including PPTs, Word documents, photos, and even videos. It’s truly great.

Method 2: Use AutoRecover to restore unsaved PowerPoint files

AutoRecover lets you recover unsaved files lost due to a sudden shutdown or a system crash. It automatically saves a copy of your file in the background every 10 minutes. So, chances are you can recover an unsaved PowerPoint on your Mac in the AutoRecover folder.

When you first launch the PowerPoint app after the incident, you should see a Document Recovery panel on the left of your screen. The panel shows the autosaved versions of your file before the application’s unexpected closure.

Here is how it works:

1. Open PowerPoint.
2. Check the Document Recovery Pane.
3. If your file doesn’t appear in the panel, manually open the AutoRecover folder. Go to Finder > Go > Go to Folder and type ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.PowerPoint/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery.
4. Find and open your unsaved PPT.
5. Save the recovered file to a secure location.

Method 3: Find unsaved PowerPoint presentations in recent files

Another method for unsaved PowerPoint recovery on a Mac is to try opening the recent files in your application. It’s perhaps the simplest method. Simply follow these steps:

1. Launch PowerPoint on your Mac.
2. Go to File > Open Recent > More.
3. Check the list for your unsaved presentation.
4. Click to open the file.
5. Save the recovered file on your Mac.

Method 4: Recover from temporary PPT files

While it’s rare that PowerPoint files end up in the macOS temp folder, it’s still worth checking this folder. This folder is where the operating system and applications on your Mac store temporary files. 

Here is how to recover from temporary PPT files:

1.  Open Finder.
2. In the Search bar, look for files with a .tmp extension.
3. Search for your presentation.
4. Try opening the file in PowerPoint to recover it.

Once opened, save the file to a secure location on your Mac.

Method 5: Use Time Machine Backup to restore PPT files

If you regularly back up your Mac data with Time Machine, you may recover PowerPoint files that were corrupted, overwritten, deleted, or unsaved. For the uninitiated, Time Machine is Apple’s real-time backup app, and it’s available in all the latest versions of macOS. When enabled, the Time Machine automatically backs up files on your hard drive when created or modified.

Follow these steps to recover your presentation from Time Machine backup:

1. Connect your Time Machine backup drive.
2. Open the folder where the PowerPoint file was saved.
3. Restore the most recent version from your backup.

How to recover unsaved PowerPoint files on a Mac: Summing up

Always adopt best practices such as enabling the AutoSave feature, Time Machine backups, and manually saving your files to minimize the risk of data loss in the future. 

For the best solution on how to recover a PowerPoint file not saved on a Mac, you can use reliable tools like Disk Drill, which lets you recover any file regardless of the reason you lost it. Then, the Get Backup Pro Mac utility offers a mix of backup methods, including simple copy, clone, incremental, and versioned. Using this app, you can quickly recover data lost on your MacBook. Another useful app that I’ve mentioned in this blog is CleanMyMac, which allows you to organize your device and keep it clutter-free. All these apps are available via Setapp, an app subscription service that brings you 250+ apps with a free 7-day trial.