Share via

Enable auto save in word

Anonymous
2019-10-27T09:27:09+00:00

Hi,

when I try to activate "AutoSave" in word it says:  "we couldn't save your file automatically due to your privacy settings".

What must I do to enable this mode? 

Thanks in advance!

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.

0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
  1. Anonymous
    2019-10-27T10:50:40+00:00

    Well Zian, I think the same than you, but at the moment Microsoft just has this option for OneDrive. I not sure about they reasons, maybe commercial...

    Microsoft says:
    "AutoSave is enabled when working on a file that is saved to OneDrive, OneDrive for Business, or SharePoint Online. If the file is saved to another location (or if it hasn't been saved at all, yet), then AutoSave is disabled. This will happen if your file is on a SharePoint on premises site, a file server, some other cloud storage service, or saved to a local path like C:."
    https://support.office.com/en-us/article/what-i...

    I suggest you to send your feedback to UserVoice:
    https://office365.uservoice.com/forums/264636-g...

    10+ people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments

10 additional answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Suzanne S Barnhill 277.1K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2019-11-06T13:46:37+00:00

    I would think that Windows 10, as the operating system, already has access to your whole computer. But the relevant setting in Word is File | Options | Trust Center | Trust Center Settings | Privacy Options: Allow Office to connect to the internet. Unless this is enabled, Word can't use OneDrive, which is a requirement for AutoSave.

    10+ people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2020-01-17T11:15:16+00:00

    Thank you Suzanne.  That was helpful.

    I have this same problem.  Autosave doesn't work any more and when I add comments to a document, they no longer show as from me but rather just show up as "Author" when I send the document to others.

    It seems that this "Allow Office to connect to the internet" option has evolved into "Connected Experiences."  Yes?

    This "Connected Experiences" language seems much more invasive than "Allow Office to connect to the Internet."

    Any thoughts / suggestions as to how we can enjoy basic internet connected benefits in Word without having to worry about Office tracking and gathering behavioral surplus data?

    Thank you,

    Richard

    8 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2019-11-06T07:38:20+00:00

    The error message is:

    "Autosave isn't available.  We couldn't save your file automatically due to your privacy settings."

    I think there is a confusion between two points:

    1. where you should save the file so that autosave can be activated, which the answers address, and
    2. what Privacy Setting you must activate to allow Autosave, which was the question.

    I have the same problem and it only occured after I blocked Windows 10 to have access to all my files.  I don't understand why Windows 10 need access to my whole computer to allow autsave on one word document on which I am working at a specific time.

    7 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2019-10-27T10:19:10+00:00

    Zian, that's the problem, Autosave only works in a synced folder of OneDrive, you have to save your files in OneDrive in order to use Autosave feature.

    3 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments