Word default file location?

Question

I am using Word 16.16.27 (2018) on Mac/El Capitan. I want my default document location to be my desktop. Right now, it puts any document I start in the last folder accessed, which is VERY inconvenient.

I understand that I am supposed to make this change in Preferences/File Locations/Documents, but my File Locations pane doesn't include a "Documents" file type. How do I create that file type and make the change that I need?

Answer 1

Unfortunately, Application.Options.DefaultFilePath(WdDefaultFilePath.wdDocumentsPath), does not get or set the default documents path. It only gets you the current folder, usually the location of the document running the macro.

Here's a page from the Word MVP pages explaining the issue: How to retrieve Word's default Documents path or Pictures path setting Before you get your hopes up, the workaround on that page is no good for macOS, as most commands to use built-in dialogs are broken in Word for Mac VBA. I know, because I tried to program around the same problem a couple of months ago.

You can use AppleScript to get the user folder, then append the desired location to that in VBA. Sorry, I'm not an AppleScript guy, but there is helpful information on Stack Overflow.

Answer 2

First, in my opinion, the desktop is a very poor place for your default save location. But, you didn't ask for my opinion.

Are you talking about your Word preferences or some more general preferences? Look for the Save location preference.

That said, once you change the default, Word will still save, within a Word session, by default, to the location of the last document saved. The default save location is for new documents, not for opened documents that you are using SaveAs on.

If you are opening archival documents and making changes to them, then storing temporarily on your desktop, you should be using a template instead of the old document. Starting a document from a template creates a new document without a name.

Answer 3

The opinion Charles voiced is shared by many, including Apple.

Saving any documents to the Desktop always has been discouraged, simply not loudly advocated or readily admitted by Apple. It is even more problematic now that the Desktop isn't a physical component of the HD file structure, it's actually owned by iCloud which doesn't support editing of Office documents very well [or anything non-Apple as I'm led to believe]. It can cause corruption, data loss & even complete loss of the file.

I'm not sure where you got that information but I wouldn't suggest returning to that source for any further suggestions :-) There is no option for determining a default Save location for new documents on a Mac. The default Save location is the Documents folder provided by the OS. This, also, is an Apple requirement. As per Apple guidelines any locally saved files should be stored within the Documents folder or within folders the user creates within it.

Answer 4

The Desktop is the RIGHT place for me, thank you. I've been doing that for decades, and have never had any trouble. I don't use the Desktop for long-term storage, just temporary storage when I'm organizing things. I do not use iCloud. To the extent the default Save location is the Documents folder provided by the OS, it's simply not doing it. Let's focus here. OK, if I didn't want to use the Desktop, and I wanted to use a particular file, how do I set that?

That being said, there are plenty of online references that point to Preferences/File Locations/Documents as the place to define the default storage location.

https://softwarekeep.com/help-center/how-to-change-the-default-folder-for-open-and-save-in-office https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/92234/how-can-i-change-the-default-save-location-of-office-for-mac

So, getting back to my original question, how do you tell MS Word to include "Documents" as a file type in Preferences/File Locations? Looks like everyone has it except me.

Answer 5

The Document file location is available only in the Windows version. When searching for information online, include "for Mac" in quotes to eliminate the misleading pages.

At the Word for Mac User Voice forum, you can vote for this suggestion: document location = file path

Microsoft uses these votes to prioritize their programming.