How to save a document on a laptop

If you’ve written a bestseller or created a newsletter, you’ll probably want to save it somewhere so that you can get to it again for printing or sending by email. You may also have started a document but want to finish it off later.

This guide explains how to save a document in Microsoft Word Office 365. Some steps may be slightly different depending upon your version of Word, go to the Microsoft Support website for details of other versions.

You’ll need:

• A computer with Microsoft Word installed.

You can save a document at any point as you type it, and it’s very good practice to save every few minutes. That way, if your computer crashes before you’ve finished your composition, you won’t lose what you’ve typed.

Follow these step-by-step instructions to save a document

Step 1: Start a new document in Word and type your text.

Step 2: Click File in the top left-hand corner of the screen.

Step 3: From the menu, choose Save.

Step 4: A ‘Save’ dialogue box will come up. At the top and at the left-hand side in the list of folder options, it will show the folder where you’ll be saving the document. If you wish to change this folder, navigate through the folders on the left-hand side of the dialogue box to choose the one where you want to save your document.

Step 5: Word will automatically give your document a name, based on the first few words of your text. If you don’t like the one given, once you have chosen the destination folder, type a name for your document in the ‘File name’ box. Come up with a name that is concise but will allow you to find the document easily again.

Don’t worry about changing what’s in the box underneath, labelled ‘Save as type’. This seldom needs to be changed. It allows you to choose the type of format that all documents created with these settings will have.

Step 6: Once you have typed in the name of your document, click Save.

Step 7: Your document will now have a name, which will be shown at the very top of your document screen. If you make changes to your document and then save them after it has been saved originally, the dialogue box will not come up again. It will just save your changes without any visual notification being shown.

Step 8: The ‘Save As’ menu – the link to which is on the left-hand side of the ‘File’ dialogue box, beneath ‘Save’ – is used to save an existing document under another name. This is helpful if you’ve made changes to your document and then want to save the changes, but also keep the original document in its original format and under its original name.

Saving to OneDrive

Saving your document to OneDrive means you can access it from anywhere – at work, at home, or on the go.

1. Go to the File menu (top left) then choose Save As.

2. Select OneDrive so you can get to your document from anywhere.

Save personal files to OneDrive - Personal, and work files to your company OneDrive. 

3.Enter a name, and select Save.

Last updated 25th March 2021, Contributor - Mary Coleman (Digital Champion)  

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Introduction

When you create a new document in Word, you'll need to know how to save it so you can access and edit it later. As with previous versions of Word, you can save files to your computer. If you prefer, you can also save files to the cloud using OneDrive. You can even export and share documents directly from Word.

Watch the video below to learn how to save and share Word documents.

Word offers two ways to save a file: Save and Save As. These options work in similar ways, with a few important differences.

• Save: When you create or edit a document, you'll use the Save command to save your changes. You'll use this command most of the time. When you save a file, you'll only need to choose a file name and location the first time. After that, you can click the Save command to save it with the same name and location.
• Save As: You'll use this command to create a copy of a document while keeping the original. When you use Save As, you'll need to choose a different name and/or location for the copied version.

About OneDrive

Most features in Microsoft Office, including Word, are geared toward saving and sharing documents online. This is done with OneDrive, which is an online storage space for your documents and files. If you want to use OneDrive, make sure you’re signed in to Word with your Microsoft account. Review our lesson on Understanding OneDrive to learn more.

It's important to save your document whenever you start a new project or make changes to an existing one. Saving early and often can prevent your work from being lost. You'll also need to pay close attention to where you save the document so it will be easy to find later.

1. Locate and select the Save command on the Quick Access Toolbar.
   

2. If you're saving the file for the first time, the Save As pane will appear in Backstage view.
3. You'll then need to choose where to save the file and give it a file name. Click Browse to select a location on your computer. You can also click OneDrive to save the file to your OneDrive.
   

4. The Save As dialog box will appear. Select the location where you want to save the document.
5. Enter a file name for the document, then click Save.
   

6. The document will be saved. You can click the Save command again to save your changes as you modify the document.

You can also access the Save command by pressing Ctrl+S on your keyboard.

Using Save As to make a copy

If you want to save a different version of a document while keeping the original, you can create a copy. For example, if you have a file named Sales Report, you could save it as Sales Report 2 so you'll be able to edit the new file and still refer back to the original version.

To do this, you'll click the Save As command in Backstage view. Just like when saving a file for the first time, you'll need to choose where to save the file and give it a new file name.

To change the default save location:

If you don't want to use OneDrive, you may be frustrated that OneDrive is selected as the default location when saving. If you find this inconvenient, you can change the default save location so This PC is selected by default.

1. Click the File tab to access Backstage view.
   

2. Click Options.
   

3. The Word Options dialog box will appear. Select Save on the left, check the box next to Save to Computer by default, then click OK. The default save location will be changed.
   

AutoRecover

Word automatically saves your documents to a temporary folder while you are working on them. If you forget to save your changes or if Word crashes, you can restore the file using AutoRecover.

To use AutoRecover:

1. Open Word. If autosaved versions of a file are found, the Document Recovery pane will appear on the left.
2. Click to open an available file. The document will be recovered.
   

By default, Word autosaves every 10 minutes. If you are editing a document for less than 10 minutes, Word may not create an autosaved version.

If you don't see the file you need, you can browse all autosaved files from Backstage view. Select the File tab, click Manage Versions, then choose Recover Unsaved Documents.

Exporting documents

By default, Word documents are saved in the .docx file type. However, there may be times when you need to use another file type, such as a PDF or Word 97-2003 document. It's easy to export your document from Word to a variety of file types.

To export a document as a PDF file:

Exporting your document as an Adobe Acrobat document, commonly known as a PDF file, can be especially useful if you're sharing a document with someone who does not have Word. A PDF file will make it possible for recipients to view—but not edit—the content of your document.

1. Click the File tab to access Backstage view, choose Export, then select Create PDF/XPS.
   

2. The Save As dialog box will appear. Select the location where you want to export the document, enter a file name, then click Publish.
   

If you need to edit a PDF file, Word allows you to convert a PDF file into an editable document. Read our guide on Editing PDF Files for more information.

To export a document to other file types:

You may also find it helpful to export your document to other file types, like a Word 97-2003 Document if you need to share with people using an older version of Word or a .txt file if you need a plain-text version of your document.

1. Click the File tab to access Backstage view, choose Export, then select Change File Type.
   

2. Select a file type, then click Save As.
   

3. The Save As dialog box will appear. Select the location where you want to export the document, enter a file name, then click Save.
   

You can also use the Save as type drop-down menu in the Save As dialog box to save documents to a variety of file types.

Sharing documents

Word makes it easy to share and collaborate on documents using OneDrive. In the past, if you wanted to share a file with someone you could send it as an email attachment. While convenient, this system also creates multiple versions of the same file, which can be difficult to organize.

When you share a document from Word, you're actually giving others access to the exact same file. This lets you and the people you share with edit the same document without having to keep track of multiple versions.

In order to share a document, it must first be saved to your OneDrive.

To share a document:

1. Click the File tab to access Backstage view, then click Share.
   

2. A Send Link window will appear.

Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn more about different ways to share a document.

edit hotspots

Here, you can select who's allowed to access your file, whether you want to allow editing, and the option to include an expiration date for the file.

Type the name or email address of the person you'd like to share your file with here.

If you'd like to include a message with your file, you can type it here.

Click Send to send your file to its recipient(s).

Click Copy Link to copy a URL that you can send to others via email, messaging, or any other method.

If you'd prefer to use Outlook, click here to send your file through an email.

You can use this option if you'd prefer to send a copy so the recipient isn't editing the same file as you.

Challenge!

1. Open our practice document.
2. Use Save As to create a copy of the document. Name the new copy Saving Challenge Practice. You can save it to a folder on your computer or to your OneDrive.
3. Export your document as a PDF.

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