---
title: "Versioning and Recovery of MS Office Files"
description: "In the Lucanet Disclosure Management, MS Excel and MS Word files are saved using the 'Check In' function. When a file is checked in, a new version of the file is created automatically. All versions of a file can be recovered at any time."
source_url: https://support.lucanet.com/en/documentation/disclosure-management/work-with-msoffice/file-versioning-restore
language: en
last_updated: 2026-05-01
---
# Versioning and Recovery of Files

## Overview

In Disclosure Management, Excel and Word files are saved using the **Check In** function. When a file is checked in, a new version of the file is created automatically. All versions of a file can be recovered at any time.

## Office for the Web and Office Native

In **Office for the Web** and **Office Native**, checking in and updating work in a similar way to **Office for Desktop**. The two relevant buttons are located in the Word ribbon on the **DM-Content** tab:

![The buttons for checking in and updating in the Word ribbon on the 'DM-Content' tab.](https://support.lucanet.com/assets/docs-images/disclosure-management/work-with-msoffice/file-versioning-restore/_images/en/ofw_wordribbon_checkin_update.png)
Buttons for checking in and updating in the Word ribbon ('DM-Content' tab)

### Checking In a File

To check in a file:

1. In the Word ribbon, on the **DM-Content** tab, click **Check In**.

        The **Check-In** task pane opens on the right.

    ![The 'Check-In' task pane with the 'Check-in message' input field.](https://support.lucanet.com/assets/docs-images/disclosure-management/work-with-msoffice/file-versioning-restore/_images/en/ofw_dlg_checkin.png)
    'Check-In' task pane

2. Enter a comment in the **Check-in message** field.

3. Click **Check in**.

        Disclosure Management creates a new version of the file. When you check in a Word chapter, an entry is created in the document **History**, from which the version can be recovered.

### Recovering a Version

When you check in a Word chapter, an entry is created in the document **History**, from which you can recover a previous version. To open the history of a document:

1. Click the info icon to open the [Detail View of a Chapter](https://support.lucanet.com/en/documentation/disclosure-management/cockpit-disclmgmt/chapter-detail-view.md).

2. In the detail view, open the document **History** and recover the desired version (see [Detail View of a Chapter](https://support.lucanet.com/en/documentation/disclosure-management/cockpit-disclmgmt/chapter-detail-view.md)).

## Office for Desktop

### Checking In a File

To check in a file:

1. Click **Check In** in the Word or Excel ribbon:

    !['Check In' button in the Word ribbon](https://support.lucanet.com/assets/docs-images/disclosure-management/work-with-msoffice/file-versioning-restore/_images/en/wordribbon_checkin_update.png)
    'Check In' button in the Word ribbon

2. The **Check In** dialog will be displayed:

    ![Dialog for checking in an Office file](https://support.lucanet.com/assets/docs-images/disclosure-management/work-with-msoffice/file-versioning-restore/_images/en/dlg_checkin.png)
    Dialog for checking in an Office file

3. You have the following options for entering a comment:
       - Enter a comment in the input field.
       - If helpful, click **Recent Comments** to reuse one of the 20 most recently used comments.

4. By default, an Excel or Word file that contains errors cannot be checked in. If you want to check in a defective file despite this, activate the **Force Check In** check box.

5. Click **Check In**.

        Disclosure Management will then create a new version of the file. In the [Cockpit](https://support.lucanet.com/en/documentation/disclosure-management/cockpit-disclmgmt.md), the time of the change will be displayed in the **Word** column.

### Recovering a Version

You can open a previous version of the current file at any time.

To recover a version:

1. Click **Recover Version** in the ribbon.

    !['Recover Version' button in the Word ribbon](https://support.lucanet.com/assets/docs-images/disclosure-management/work-with-msoffice/file-versioning-restore/_images/en/wordribbon_restore_version.png)
    'Recover Version' button in the Word ribbon

2. The **Version History** window will be displayed:

    !['Version History' Word window](https://support.lucanet.com/assets/docs-images/disclosure-management/work-with-msoffice/file-versioning-restore/_images/en/dlg_version_history.png)
    'Version History' Word window

3. Select the desired version in the drop-down list.

4. If necessary, click **Compare** to compare the selected version of the document with the current version.

5. Click **Open**.

6. **Check in** the file **again** to update the values changed since saving the restored version (for example by re-importing the data) if necessary.
> **Note:** Versions can also be opened from the **History** in the [Detail View of a Chapter](https://support.lucanet.com/en/documentation/disclosure-management/cockpit-disclmgmt/chapter-detail-view.md).