Autosave query

Question

When using Onedrive - without me changing anything- Word has started Autosaving all changes to my documents.   Not sure when this started, but think it might have been when my Onedrive subscription was replaced by Microsoft Office365 Basic

I want to switch off Autosave and have looked everywhere for an option to switch it off with no success. 

a)  there is no Autosave option in the Word settings 

b)  there is no Autosave on/off toggle button on the title bar on 

      any Word document. 

c)  there is no Autosave option for Quick Access Toolbar (QAT)

  How can I switch off Autosave please?

I am running - 

MS-Office Home and Student 2019 (one time purchase)

Microsoft365 Basic subscription

Windows 10

Answer 1

I don't have the option to switch off autosave (my screenshot is from my copy of 2019) - I checked that yesterday but did not test the behavior or the key. I tried turning oof auto recover... no change. Word is acting like OneNote and saving changes instantly.

:(

Ah, I found it - background saves (in File > Options > advanced) - with that checked it autosaves. With it off, I'm asked if it want to save.

FWIW, the key I posted yesterday is wrong - it is 00000002 not q (I updated the post) - have no idea how that got messed up in a copy paste.

Answer 2

Yes, it does mean that AutoSave is working, If you do not want the documents to be saved like that, move the document out of OneDrive into a folder on your local drive that is NOT synchronised with OneDrive.

Answer 3

For automatic saves to work, you will need a subscription that includes the desktop applications (for Windows or Mac OS).

You can install the desktop applications via your Home & Student license, but that isn't a subscription. And 365 Basic is a subscription, but not one that includes the desktop applications.

Answer 4

It looks like they added it to Word with Office 2021 - I don't have it in a 2019 pro install either but it is in 2021.

Try setting this key - then restart word. Does it work?

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Word]

"AutoSaveByDefaultUserChoice"=dword:00000002

[corrected the wrong value)

Answer 5

Hi, I'm Diane and I'm happy to help you today.

This is happening in the desktop app? Word online will always autosave.

Did you look in File > Options > Save? Very first option to autosave.

It should also be on the Quick Access Toolbar in the desktop app.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

-- Diane

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