How to Enable AutoSave in Excel [Simple Guide]

# What Is AutoSave in Excel? AutoSave is a feature in Microsoft Excel that automatically saves your work at regular intervals to prevent data loss in case of unexpected program closures, system crashes, or other interruptions. This feature ensures that you don't lose hours of work due to unforeseen circumstances. When AutoSave is enabled, Excel periodically saves your spreadsheet to the cloud or your local device without requiring you to manually click on the "Save" button. The frequency of these automatic saves can be configured in the application settings. By default, it usually saves every few minutes, providing a safety net for your data. There are two primary types of AutoSave in Excel: 1. **AutoRecover**: This feature helps recover your work if Excel or your computer crashes. It saves a temporary copy of your workbook at specified intervals and allows you to restore the file when reopening Excel after an unexpected closure. 2. **AutoSave for Microsoft 365 Subscribers**: For users with an active Microsoft 365 subscription, AutoSave is integrated with OneDrive or SharePoint. It continuously saves your changes to the cloud as you work, allowing real-time collaboration and ensuring that your latest edits are always backed up. It's important to note that while AutoSave is a great feature for preventing data loss, it's still a good practice to occasionally save your files manually, especially if you're not using a Microsoft 365 subscription and are working with a local copy of the workbook. Additionally, understanding the AutoSave settings and managing them according to your preferences can help prevent accidental overwriting or loss of older versions of your work.

AutoSave is a feature present in Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Office 365 that automatically saves your files at specified intervals while you're working on them.

In Microsoft Office, you can utilize the AutoSave feature (which is essentially AutoRecover) to save temporary changes to a document in a designated folder on your local computer. You have the flexibility to modify the AutoSave location as per your preference. In Microsoft 365, AutoSave is automatically activated by default when a file is saved on OneDrive, OneDrive for Business, or SharePoint Online.

With AutoSave activated, Excel safeguards your file in case of unforeseen issues like program crashes, sudden power outages, or system failures, ensuring minimal data loss. Let's explore how to enable AutoSave in Excel for both Mac and Windows 10.

How to Enable AutoSave in Excel 2019/2016/2013/2010/2007

In this section, we'll guide you through the process of enabling AutoSave in Office Excel for both Mac and Windows computers. Additionally, we'll explain the steps to activate AutoSave in Office 365 as well.

Enable AutoSave in Excel for Mac

MacOS crashes and power failures can happen unexpectedly. If you're working intensively on an important Excel file but don't save it before Excel encounters an issue, such as when Excel stops working, AutoSave can be a lifesaver. Let's explore how to enable AutoSave in Excel on a Mac.

Step 1. Open Excel on your Mac. Click on "Excel" in the top toolbar, then select "Preferences."

Step 2. In the Excel Preferences box, click "Save" under Sharing and Privacy.

Step 3. Choose "Turn on AutoSave by default" and "Save AutoRecover information every xx minutes." Click "OK." That's all there is to it.

Enable AutoSave in Excel for Windows 10

Enabling the AutoSave feature in Excel on Windows 10/8/7 is straightforward. Follow these steps: 1. Open Microsoft Excel. 2. Click on the "File" tab in the upper-left corner of the window. 3. In the File menu, select "Options." This will open the Excel Options dialog box. 4. In the Excel Options dialog, click on "Save" in the left-hand pane. 5. Under the "Save" section, you'll see an option for "AutoRecover." Check the box next to "Enable AutoRecover for files." 6. By default, Excel should be set to save AutoRecover information every 10 minutes. If you'd like to change this interval, you can adjust the number in the "Minutes" field next to "Save AutoRecover information every." 7. To ensure your work is automatically saved, also check the box for "Always create backup copy" (optional). 8. Click "OK" to apply the changes and close the dialog box. Now, Excel will automatically save your work at the specified intervals, helping you prevent data loss in case of unexpected shutdowns or errors.

Step 1. Open Excel on your computer. Navigate to "File" > "Options".

Step 2. Click "Save" on the left panel. Check the boxes for "Save AutoRecover information every xx minutes" and "Keep the last autosaved version if I close without saving." Then, click "OK" to apply the changes.

Enable AutoSave in Excel for Office 365

If AutoSave is not working in Excel for Office 365, you can enable it and modify the settings using the methods below.

Step 1. Launch Excel, click "File" then "Options".

Step 2. In the Options dialog box, click on the "Save" button. Check the option for "Automatically save OneDrive and SharePoint Online files by default in Excel." This will ensure that your Excel work is saved in real-time.

Step 3. Choose "Save AutoRecover information every xx minutes." It's recommended to keep the auto-save interval as short as possible. Click "OK" to apply the change.

Here are the quick steps to enable AutoSave in Microsoft Office and Office 365. You might have noticed that we mentioned both AutoSave and AutoRecover. What's the distinction between them?

Excel AutoSave and AutoRecover

Put simply, AutoSave is a new feature in Excel Office 365, whereas AutoRecover refers to the auto-save function in previous editions, namely Excel 2010/2013/2016/2019.

AutoSave is enabled by default in Microsoft 365. AutoRecover functions similarly to AutoSave and retains your work changes on your local computer. In the event of data loss without saving, you can recover unsaved Excel files from temporary ones. You can retrieve Excel from the last AutoRecovered version.

Excel AutoRecover enables you to recover unsaved files in case of accidental closure or program crash. It lets you restore your work to the last saved version, which appears in the Document Recovery task pane when you restart Excel.

How to Recover Unsaved Excel Files with AutoRecover

If you accidentally close or experience a crash while working on an Excel file, you can recover unsaved Excel files using the AutoRecover feature in two ways.

1. Recover Unsaved Excel in Document Recovery

Excel AutoRecover lets you restore from the last saved version that appears in the Document Recovery pane when you restart Excel.

2. Recover Unsaved Excel from Temporary Files

< strong > Step 1. < /strong > Open your Excel, choose "File" > "Open" > "Recover Unsaved Workbooks".

Step 2. Select the lost workbook from the list, then open and save the Excel file.

You see, when AutoSave is enabled in Excel, recovering unsaved data is quite straightforward. However, it's important to remember that Excel's AutoSave or AutoRecover is not a substitute for manual saving. To safeguard against data loss, save your work manually in real-time.

How to Recover Deleted Excel Files on Windows 10 and Mac

Accidentally deleting Excel files is a common occurrence, causing significant hassle for many users. However, there's no need to panic. You can utilize the Data Recovery Wizard tool to effortlessly recover deleted or lost Excel files, along with Word documents, photos, videos, audio files, emails, or any other file types.

This reputable data recovery and repair tool is also proficient in efficiently repairing corrupted Excel files. Download the software for free and learn how to recover permanently deleted Excel files in just three simple steps.

Step 1. Choose the location and click "Scan"

Select the drive or a specific folder on your Desktop or any other location where you lost the Excel files, and then click the "Scan" button.

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Step 2. Locate your Excel files

To swiftly locate Excel files from the scan results, click on the "Documents" option in the left panel. Next, select "Excel" and then click "Preview" to verify if the Excel files are the desired ones.

Step 3. Recover Excel Files

Lastly, choose the desired Excel files and click the "Recover" button. Next, select a folder to save the recovered Excel files to a different location.

Additional Information About Excel AutoSave

When using AutoSave in Excel, you might encounter the following issues. Let's explore their solutions together.

1. Why am I unable to enable AutoSave in Excel?

Automatic Save settings might not function properly for certain files, especially large ones or those stored on SharePoint. To rectify this, you can navigate to "File > Options > Save" and re-enable the AutoSave checkbox.

2. How to change the AutoSave location in Excel?

通常，AutoRecover 文件位置路径为 C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Excel。您可以通过以下方式根据需要更改文件位置。

< strong > Step 1. Open Excel. Click "File > Options" (In Excel 2007, click the Office button > Excel Options).

Step 2. Click on 'Save' in the left panel and locate 'AutoRecover file location'.

Step 3. Delete the default path and type in your location. Click "OK" to save the change.

How to disable AutoSave in Excel?

The process to disable AutoSave is identical to enabling it. To locate the AutoSave option, you can follow the steps for turning on AutoSave in Excel 2016. Once you've found it, simply uncheck the box to disable the feature.