In order to study the recovery process of gold thin films deposited on an amorphous carbon film kept at 80 K, the electron diffraction method and transmission electron microscopy were used. It was found from the measurement of the intensity, the radius and the half width of the diffraction rings that the films had three distinct recovery stages between 80 and 360 K; that is, from 100 to 180 K, 200 to 280 K and 300 to 360 K. In the temperature range between 200 and 300 K grain boundaries began to migrate and above 300 K the grains with the 111 planes parallel to the film surface grew preferentially.