GNU Emacs Manual - Recover

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### Recovering Data from Auto-Saves

You can use the contents of an auto-save file to recover from a loss of data with the command `M-x recover-file `RET` file `RET``. This visits file and then (after your confirmation) restores the contents from its auto-save file ``#file#'`. You can then save with `C-x C-s` to put the recovered text into file itself. For example, to recover file ``foo.c'` from its auto-save file ``#foo.c#'`, do:

    M-x recover-file RET foo.c RET
    yes RET
    C-x C-s

Before asking for confirmation, `M-x recover-file` displays a directory listing describing the specified file and the auto-save file, so you can compare their sizes and dates. If the auto-save file is older, `M-x recover-file` does not offer to read it.

If Emacs or the computer crashes, you can recover all the files you were editing from their auto save files with the command `M-x recover-session`. This first shows you a list of recorded interrupted sessions. Move point to the one you choose, and type `C-c C-c`.

Then `recover-session` asks about each of the files that were being edited during that session, asking whether to recover that file. If you answer `y`, it calls `recover-file`, which works in its normal fashion. It shows the dates of the original file and its auto-save file, and asks once again whether to recover that file.

When `recover-session` is done, the files you've chosen to recover are present in Emacs buffers. You should then save them. Only this--saving them--updates the files themselves.

Interrupted sessions are recorded for later recovery in files named ``~/.saves-pid-hostname'`. The ``~/.saves'` portion of these names comes from the value of `auto-save-list-file-prefix`. You can arrange to record sessions in a different place by setting that variable in your ``.emacs'` file, but you'll have to redefine `recover-session` as well to make it look in the new place. If you set `auto-save-list-file-prefix` to `nil` in your ``.emacs'` file, sessions are not recorded for recovery.

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