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How to Save-As in Word online

Anonymous
2015-01-07T15:33:48+00:00

Hi,  This discussion started in the OneDrive forum:

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/onedrive/forum/sdfiles-sdother/save-as-in-word-online-how/368e9245-41b6-4c54-a898-8524b760b70c

.......and the Support Engineer suggested re-posting here.

I’m completely lost as to how to “Save As” in Word online.  Support Engineer says you can’t, and that this is a deliberate feature because files are saved as you go.  This seems improbable.

OK, so my files are saved as I go.  That's great.  But sometimes I want to trailmark:  Save what I'm working on as a fixed point and carry on with a new file.  Save-As is great for that.  Sometimes I want to pick up a previous letter I've sent, adjust it a little, re-save it because it's now a different letter.  Save-As is great for that.  I want to keep a previous version of a document completely intact because it represents a particular record at a particular moment.  But I want to build a further, similar, "document of record" at a  later time.  Save-As is great for that.

An example, recently I had to write a letter to my mother's bank.  I opened a previous very similar letter, altered it, saved it as a new one, printed, posted.  I have power of attorney and am required to keep copies of all the letters I send which, so far, I've done electronically.  I don't get why this is no longer possible.

Another example.  In work I author a daily situation report.  Every morning I pull up the previous situation report, lets say "Situation report, Wednesday 5th", Save-As "Situation Report, Thursday 6th", make the inevitably minor changes, Save, job done.

Engineer says "no save option in OneDrive office app".  I get that.  There just isn't.  This is very very weird but it's a simple declarative sentence and I understand it.  It’s the phrase "because it automatically saves in OneDrive Cloud" that loses me.  I want to use an existing file for the basis of a new one but this sentence relates to a behaviour toward the original file, and does not address the issue of generating a new file based on an older one.

The reason I think I'm missing something obvious is that many everyday tasks have now been made much more complicated by removing the Save-As functionality.  I doubt anyone sat down and said "let's make basic things harder", so.... can anyone explain in terms amenable to the meanest understanding (mine) how in Word Online the normal, literally everyday, tasks that I've described above, can be achieved?  You're probably thinking "doesn't the halfwit know he can just <insert simple thing here>".  Well, no, I don't know how I can do these things so I think I am clearly missing something obvious.  No idea what it is though!

Thanks,

Evan

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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  1. Anonymous
    2017-07-11T11:29:41+00:00

    Thanks for the post Evan. This is a very common feature request, and though I can't give an exact date, I'm happy to share that we are adding Save As (to another OneDrive location) in an upcoming release that should be available very soon. Please keep an eye out for it and let us know if you have additional feedback.

    You said that the (rather typical) save as function was being added to an "upcoming release that should be available soon." This feature request (and others like it) are several years old. This is not an odd request nor a difficult one. Is there any reason for the delay? It's a terrible nuisance to have all new documents saved ONLY in the slush pile of a drive. Mine (and those of every other user I've ever met) has dozens of directories within it and sub directories. But you force us to drop it randomly in the pile. And then we have to take the time to go to a separate program and move it to where it belongs. Please tell me how forcing us to take this extra task is somehow helpful. 

    Stan Duncan

    7 people found this answer helpful.
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  2. Anonymous
    2015-01-08T12:08:13+00:00

    Hi Ivan Michael ovitch,

    Thank you for posting your query in Microsoft Office Community.

    As per the design it is not possible in Word online, if you feel that this feature is important to you then please take a moment to send us your feature request(s) by submitting your feedback. Microsoft is committed to continuously improve your experience with our products. Our product team will review your Suggestion(s) and consider them for future versions of our products. 

    To provide feedback click on File>Help>Click on give us the Feedback.

    Thank You.

    2 people found this answer helpful.
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  3. Anonymous
    2015-01-09T17:36:17+00:00

    My understanding is that yes, you will be able to Save As to the same folder with a new name. Once the new functionality is rolled feel free to post your feedback here or using the HELP IMPROVE OFFICE button in the apps.

    1 person found this answer helpful.
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  4. Anonymous
    2015-01-09T08:38:56+00:00

    Thanks for the post Evan. This is a very common feature request, and though I can't give an exact date, I'm happy to share that we are adding Save As (to another OneDrive location) in an upcoming release that should be available very soon. Please keep an eye out for it and let us know if you have additional feedback.

    Hey!  Thanks Michael, that's good news.  When you say "to another OneDrive location", not sure what that means?  What I want to be able to do is that an existing file, in an existing folder and save it in the existing folder with a different name.

    I recognise that the new "constant save" feature means that I'll have to Save As before I edit the file and while that'll take some remembering there's a distinct advantage to constant save.  I guess in a perfect world there'd be the opportunity to turn off constant save, it's great for files you're working on but when you want to freeze a file as a moment in time you really don't want any accidental saving later on.

    Glad to see Save As back though.  I left OneDrive because of the lack of it, just using 2013 with everything disconnected from OneDrive.  I'll give it another go when the functionality is restored.

    Thanks!

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  5. Anonymous
    2015-01-08T16:08:52+00:00

    Thanks for the post Evan. This is a very common feature request, and though I can't give an exact date, I'm happy to share that we are adding Save As (to another OneDrive location) in an upcoming release that should be available very soon. Please keep an eye out for it and let us know if you have additional feedback.

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