Why won't Word give me the option to "Save As"? I only get to save as a copy which wont show up when I go to submit my word document for school

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Why won't Word give me the option to "Save As"? I only get to save as a copy which wont show up when I go to submit my word document for school

Fionn McHugh 20

For a while I was always able to save word docs using "save as" but now that option is gone. I submit college assignments though Canvas and need to have that option. Every time I am stuck with "save as a copy" which won't save into my files leading me to not submit things through Canvas. Please help because I keep having to go down alternative routes of submitting items with my professors

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Answer 1

Jade Ng 11,330 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Dear @Fionn McHugh,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum!

For better assist, please kindly let me know:

Could you kindly describe the steps you follow to save a file? If you save the file locally, the Save As option will be available. However, if the file is stored on OneDrive, you will only see the Save a Copy option.

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Fionn McHugh 20 Reputation points

2025-10-10T16:07:09.4166667+00:00

Here is what it shows. I see now that it says OneDrive, but I am not sure how to change that. I open the document then click file in the top left and this is what I get.
Stefan Blom 338.6K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2025-10-10T16:36:19.7433333+00:00

For the specific document, use Save a Copy to download it to your hard drive.

If you want the default save location to be your hard drive, change that at File > Options > Save. You would want to specify a "Default local file location" which is outside the Documents folder, because the Documents folder is synchronized with OneDrive by default.

Note that changing the default will affect future documents that you create.
Kai-Ex 1,070 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-10-13T07:08:19.9233333+00:00
Dear @Fionn McHugh,

I understand how important it is to have control over where your files are stored, and I appreciate the opportunity to assist you.

To save your document locally rather than on OneDrive, I recommend disabling the AutoSave option within the application. This adjustment will allow you to manage your files directly on your device.

1.You can turn off Autosave by default in each Office client.

Files > Options > Save > uncheck the box next to AutoSave OneDrive and SharePoint Online files by default on Word> restart Word.

This will only switch the Autosave toggle to Off when you open files from OneDrive or SharePoint, you can still turn it on in Word or other clients if you like.

2.If you have OneDrive Sync client installed, you can turn off this function in OneDrive:

Right-click OneDrive icon in the taskbar > Settings > Office > uncheck the box next to Use Office applications to sync Office files that I open > OK.

This will disable Autosave function in Office client applications. You will need to change the settings in OneDrive again if you need Autosave.

For more information:

What is AutoSave?

Use Office applications to sync Office files that I open

I hope this helps! Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need further clarification.

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Why won't Word give me the option to "Save As"? I only get to save as a copy which wont show up when I go to submit my word document for school

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