How to Find Excel Spreadsheets on Your Computer

On Windows, open File Explorer with Windows key + E, select This PC, and search for *.xlsx to find Excel workbooks across drives Windows can access. Also search for *.xls, *.xlsm, and *.xlsb if the first search misses the file; Excel may also list a workbook you recently opened under File > Open > Recent.

What counts as an Excel spreadsheet?

Excel files use several extensions, and the right one to search depends on how the workbook was saved. The most common is .xlsx, the standard workbook format that does not store VBA macros. Older Excel workbooks often end in .xls. A macro-enabled workbook usually ends in .xlsm, while a binary Excel workbook uses .xlsb.

There are also Excel template formats: .xltx for templates without macros and .xltm for macro-enabled templates. If you are looking for a file someone created from a template, search the workbook extensions too; the finished spreadsheet is not necessarily saved as a template.

A .csv file can open in Excel and contain rows and columns, but it is a plain-text data format, not an Excel workbook. Searching only for Excel workbook extensions will not find CSV files. Likewise, a PDF exported from Excel is no longer an editable workbook, even if its contents look like a spreadsheet.

Search all accessible drives in Windows

Press Windows key + E to open File Explorer.
Select This PC in the navigation pane. This makes the search broader than searching from a single folder.
Click the search box near the upper-right corner and enter *.xlsx. Press Enter and allow the results to load.
Repeat for *.xls, *.xlsm, and *.xlsb. Search for *.xltx or *.xltm if you need a template.

Select a result to open it, or right-click it and choose Open file location to see its folder. In the results, check the file name, modified date, and folder path: similarly named copies can exist in Downloads, Documents, OneDrive, and email attachment folders. If you do not see the navigation pane, you can still open File Explorer and search from the location shown in the address bar, but starting from This PC is the clearer way to search more broadly.

A search can take longer when it covers multiple drives or folders that Windows has not indexed. A result may also be absent if the drive is disconnected, a network folder is unavailable, or Windows does not have permission to read the location. Searching This PC does not make an offline drive or inaccessible account searchable.

Check Excel’s recent files first

If you opened the spreadsheet recently, Excel may be the quickest route. Open Excel for Microsoft 365, select File > Open > Recent, and look through the recent workbooks. Select the file to reopen it. Recent lists are convenient, but they are not a complete inventory: an old workbook, a file opened under another Windows account, or a file whose recent entry was removed may not appear.

When you can open a workbook but do not know where it is stored, use File > Info to inspect the file details and location when available. You can also use File > Save As to see the current folder in the save dialog, but do not save a second copy unless that is what you intend. If the file is still open, its title bar or Excel’s file information may help identify its name; the exact display depends on the app and window.

Excel’s Open page can also take you to folders or cloud locations you have used, but it cannot show every file on the computer by itself. Use File Explorer when you need a broad search, and Excel’s recent list when you want to get back to a workbook you worked on recently.

Search a particular folder or drive

If you remember where you saved the file, search that location before searching the entire computer. In File Explorer, open likely folders such as Documents, Downloads, or a project folder, then enter *.xlsx in the search box. Narrow searches are often faster and make it easier to distinguish the right copy from old versions.

For a USB drive or external disk, connect it and confirm it appears in File Explorer before searching it. Select the drive, then search for the extension. For a mapped work or school drive, make sure you are connected to the appropriate network or VPN and have permission to open the folder. A search of This PC may include mounted locations, but it cannot return files from a location that is not currently available to Windows.

Try Documents for workbooks saved deliberately.
Try Downloads for files saved from a browser or received as attachments.
Check the folder used by your work or school if files are managed by an organization.
Look in the OneDrive folder if you save or sync files there.

Look in OneDrive and other cloud locations

A spreadsheet can feel as if it is on your computer while its authoritative copy is stored in OneDrive or another cloud service. If OneDrive is syncing to Windows, its folder appears in File Explorer and can be searched like other folders. You can also search OneDrive through its website, signing in to the account that owns or shares the workbook. Work and personal Microsoft accounts are separate, so check the account you used when the file was created or shared.

Files On-Demand can show cloud files in File Explorer even when their contents are not currently downloaded. Opening one may require an internet connection and may download it. A cloud icon or other status symbol can indicate that a file is online-only or synced; the exact icons can vary with OneDrive settings and Windows version. If a file appears in a cloud search but not in a local drive search, check the cloud account and sync status rather than assuming the workbook is gone.

Other services, such as a work document system or a shared network workspace, may not store files in a normal local folder. Search the service itself or ask the owner for the shared location. A local computer search cannot reliably discover files held only in a separate online account.

Find spreadsheets on a Mac

On a Mac, open Finder and press Command + F to start a search. Choose This Mac if you want to search broadly, or select a folder in Finder first to limit the search. Search by a known part of the file name, or use Finder’s search filters to look for a name ending in an Excel extension such as .xlsx or .xlsm. Finder labels and filter choices can differ across macOS versions.

In Excel for Mac, check File > Open Recent for a workbook you have used lately. If it is not there, use Finder rather than relying on Excel’s recent list. The Windows shortcut Windows key + E does not apply on Mac; Finder search uses Command + F. If your files are in OneDrive, search the synced OneDrive folder in Finder or check the correct account online.

Why a search may not find the workbook

A missing result does not always mean the workbook was deleted. The search may use the wrong extension, the file may have a different name, or the folder may not be included in the search. Try several likely extensions, search a distinctive word from the file name, and check likely folders individually. If you remember a phrase inside the workbook, Windows content search might help when the file type and indexing settings allow it, but searching the name and extension is usually the more dependable first step.

The workbook has a different extension: search for .xlsm or .xlsb as well as .xlsx.
The file is in the Recycle Bin: open the Recycle Bin and search or sort its contents before restoring the file.
The file is in cloud storage: check the right account, sync status, or the service’s website.
The drive is unavailable: reconnect the disk or network, then search again.
The workbook was never saved: check Excel’s recovery options, but understand that recovery is not guaranteed.

If Excel closed unexpectedly, reopen it and look for a Document Recovery pane or use File > Info to find workbook recovery options when available. AutoRecover and unsaved-file recovery depend on the app’s settings and what data was preserved; they are not substitutes for a saved copy. If you locate a likely workbook, open it and verify its contents before deleting or replacing other versions.

Search safely and avoid opening the wrong copy

Search results can include duplicate versions, old backups, and files with similar names. Compare the folder path and modified date, then open the candidate and confirm it contains the expected sheets or data. A recent date alone does not prove that a file is the right one; a copy may have been modified without containing the latest information.

Be cautious with unexpected macro-enabled workbooks, especially files received from unknown senders. The .xlsm extension can support macros, but it does not prove that a file is safe. Do not enable macros just to view a workbook unless you trust its source and have a reason to run them. If the file is important, make a separate backup before editing it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I search for all Excel files on Windows?
Open File Explorer, select This PC, and search for *.xlsx. Repeat for *.xls, *.xlsm, and *.xlsb, because Excel workbooks use more than one extension.

Where does Excel save files by default?
There is no single guaranteed folder for every workbook. The save location depends on where you choose to save, your Excel settings, and whether you use OneDrive or an organization’s storage. Check Excel’s recent list or inspect the file’s location rather than assuming it is in Documents.

Can Excel show every spreadsheet saved on my computer?
No. Excel’s recent list is useful for recently opened workbooks, but it is not a full drive search. Use File Explorer on Windows or Finder on Mac to look across accessible folders.

How do I find an Excel file if I forgot its name?
Search likely folders by workbook extension, then sort or inspect results by modified date and location. Check Downloads, Documents, synced cloud folders, and any external or work drives you use. Searching by a word you remember from the file name can also narrow results.

Why can I see a spreadsheet online but not open it offline?
The file may be online-only in a cloud service or the computer may not have synced it. Connect to the internet, confirm the correct account, and let the service download or sync the workbook before trying to open it offline.

Try it: the Date Difference Calculator: days, months, years and weekdays between two dates, with the DATEDIF formulas.

More in How-to basics

Sources: Function behaviour and menu paths: Microsoft Support documentation for Excel. Method & sources

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