TextEdit file vanished: any solutions?

[eyeballtickler]

I was working on a (saved) TextEdit file when the Finder froze. I restarted the Finder, but TextEdit started acting funny so I quit that too. Low and behold my file disappeared. I *think* it was on the desktop, but I can't find it anywhere now. I've searched for the file name and words that the file contains, but Spotlight isn't seeing it. Curiously, it's still listed in Recent Items in the Apple menu, but clicking on it here just opens TextEdit, but not the file.

I should add, of course, that the file isn't backed up anywhere.

Any ideas? Could a recovery file have been saved somewhere or other?

It's only about half a day's work, not the end of the world, but still...

 

[Fishrrman]

Something you could try:
Download "DevonThink Personal Edition" and install it.

Use the text-searching abilities of Devonthink to search your hard drive, using a string of words that you can remember from the original file.

 

[eyeballtickler]

Just wanted to bump this as I've had the *exact* same problem again, once again in between back-ups. Working on a Text Edit file, it crashes, completely disappears (tried searching with Spotlight etc). Still hanging around in Recent Items but can't be opened. No sign of it where it was saved. Really, really annoying.

Anything at all I can try to find it before starting again? Thanks very much.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP asked above:
[[ Anything at all I can try to find it before starting again? Thanks very much. ]]

Well, you could try a DIFFERENT text-editing app.

There are numerous ones out there.

I have one around called "iText Express":
http://www.jp-lightway.com/iText/iTextExpress/TryiTxtExp.html

 

[BrianBaughn]

Just wanted to bump this as I've had the *exact* same problem again, once again in between back-ups. Working on a Text Edit file, it crashes, completely disappears (tried searching with Spotlight etc). Still hanging around in Recent Items but can't be opened. No sign of it where it was saved. Really, really annoying.

Anything at all I can try to find it before starting again? Thanks very much.

Textwrangler is good.

Question though...do you have iCloud backup/sync turned on for TextEdit?

Finder/TextEdit crashing isn't normal behavior, as you know.