4 Ways to Fix the "Document Could Not Be Saved Automatically" Error on Mac

Many users report the error “Can't automatically save document” while editing files on their Mac. If this issue also bothers you, don't worry!

This article will guide you through resolving the "document not auto-saving" issue and emphasize how to recover unsaved documents without losing data.

Recovering Unsaved Documents Using Utility Software If you accidentally closed a program or your computer shut down unexpectedly, causing you to lose an unsaved document, there are tools you can try to recover it. Here are some possible methods: 1. **Microsoft Office AutoRecover Feature**: If you were using Microsoft Word, Excel, or another Office application, they typically save drafts automatically in the background. Check the "Recent Documents" or "File" menu for "Recover Unsaved Documents." 2. **Google Docs**: If you were working in Google Docs, log into your account and look at your "Recent Documents" list to see if there's an unsaved version. 3. **Third-party Recovery Software**: There are various third-party tools like Recuva or Data Recovery Wizard that can help you recover unsaved files. These programs scan your hard drive for potentially lost documents. Make sure to choose reputable software and follow its installation and usage instructions. 4. **Operating System's File Recovery Features**: - **Windows**: Use the "File History" feature, if enabled, to possibly restore your unsaved file. - **macOS**: Check "Time Machine" (if configured) or use "Spotlight" to search for the unsaved file. Please note that the success of recovery depends on several factors, including whether the file has been overwritten and the state of the file when the program was closed. Act promptly to increase the chances of recovery.

If you encounter the “auto-recovery failed” error and haven't manually saved your document, don't panic! You can opt for professional file recovery tools, like the tools Data Recovery Wizard for Mac, to retrieve unsaved documents with just a few clicks.

Specialized software can recover unsaved Word documents, unsaved Excel files, and other document types. To prevent the loss of edits made to a document, install a recovery tool and follow these steps to restore unsaved documents on your Mac:

Note: You can create a backup by first clicking Disk Backup on the left. You can then recover data from the backup image if the disk becomes damaged or if unsaved documents on the disk are accidentally deleted or lost.

Step 1: Select a Disk

Launch Disk Drill for Mac, hover the mouse over the device with the lost unsaved files, and click “Search for Lost Files”.

Select the location to scan for unsaved documents.

Step 2: Choose the unsaved document

When the scan is complete, click “File Type,” then expand “Unsaved Documents.” Click on the specific file type that you lost – Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Keynote, Pages, or Numbers.

Step 3: Preview and recover unsaved files

Double-click to preview an unsaved file, select the correct version, and then click “Recover” to save the file to a secure location on your Mac.

This powerful file recovery tool can help users restore earlier versions of Word documents, Excel files, PowerPoint presentations, and other documents.

It can recover unsaved iWork documents without having the advanced Time Machine backup, for instance, to retrieve an auto-saved Pages document on Mac.

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Clear Recent Menu to Fix Unsaved Document Error

Clearing the recent menu might resolve issues with unsaved documents. Try these steps:

Step 1: Open the app on your Mac that's showing the “Can't Save Document” message.

Step 2: Click on "File" on the top menu, and then select "Recent."

Click the “Open Recent” menu.

You'll see a list of recently opened files.

Step 3: Scroll to the bottom of the page and clear your recent apps list.

Copy an unsaved document that won't auto-save

In this article, we'll provide a way to save the affected documents without losing any data; however, this doesn't actually fix the “auto-recovery failed” error.

Open the document, click on “Duplicate,” and make sure to save the new document in a location different from the original, such as the Photoshop auto-save location on a Mac.

After saving a copy, you can edit it instead of the original document to test autosave.

Disable the auto-save option and save your documents manually

The other option is to turn off the auto-save feature and manually save your changes to a file. This ensures that as long as you remember to click “Save” before closing the editor, no data will be lost.

Usually, you can see the Auto Save option in the window at the top-left of the Files app, from where you can turn it off manually.

Click “Autosave”.

Conclusion

This article will illustrate how to retrieve unsaved documents using Mac Data Recovery Wizard and provide effective solutions to the problem of documents not autosaving on Mac: Learn from Recent Menu, copy unsaved documents, and disable the Auto Save option in document apps.

"Frequently Asked Questions: 'Document Cannot Be Auto-Saved'"

Here are some questions people also ask when searching for solutions to the “document won't autosave” error:

Why doesn't my document autosave on Mac?

If the file is saved locally on a Mac, Auto Save will not work. Another possibility is that the file is stored in a local folder that hasn't been uploaded to the cloud.

2. Why does Pages display "Document couldn't be autosaved"?

If you use Google Drive, be aware that Auto Save is designed to work with supported file systems and not with Google Drive. You can automatically save your Pages documents in iCloud Drive instead.