How do I open an .asd file?

Reopen Word and use the Document Recovery pane, or File → Open and browse to the .asd in the AutoRecover folder.

Where does Word store .asd files?

Usually %AppData%\Microsoft\Word\ on Windows — the exact path is under File → Options → Save.

Can I delete .asd files?

Yes, after you have recovered your document. They are temporary AutoRecover snapshots.

Where does Word keep .asd files?

On Windows in %AppData%\Microsoft\Word; on Mac in the Word container's AutoRecovery folder.

Will deleting .asd lose my document?

No, as long as your .docx is saved. The .asd is only a temporary AutoRecover copy.

What Is an .ASD File?

Word crashed and left an .asd file. It is an AutoRecover copy of your document. Here is how to get your work back.

What an .asd file is

An .asd file is Microsoft Word's AutoRecover snapshot — Word saves one every few minutes so it can restore your document after a crash.

How to recover it

Reopen Word; it usually shows a Document Recovery pane on the left with the recovered file — click it and save. If not, go to File → Open → Recover Unsaved Documents (bottom of the recent list).

Where Word keeps them

On Windows they typically live in %AppData%\Microsoft\Word\ or the AutoRecover path shown under File → Options → Save. You can open an .asd directly from there via File → Open.

Is it safe to delete?

Yes, once you have recovered and saved your real document. Old .asd files are just stale snapshots.

How to open a .asd file by OS

Windows: open Word, go to File → Open → Recover Unsaved Documents; Word lists AutoRecover .asd files from %AppData%\Microsoft\Word. Or double-click the .asd directly — modern Word opens it.

macOS: Word for Mac stores AutoRecovery in ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Word/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery; open Word, then File → Open Recent, or drag the file onto the Word icon.

Linux: no native Word, but the .asd is a Word binary — open it in LibreOffice Writer, which reads it as a normal document.

Common problems

If Word says the file is corrupt, rename a copy to .doc and retry, or use Open and Repair in the Open dialog. An empty AutoRecover folder usually means AutoRecover was off or the doc was saved normally and the .asd was cleaned up.