Prompt To Save unsaved T-SQL query windows on close

Question

Prompt To Save unsaved T-SQL query windows on close

WILLIAM BEHNING 36

I am using SSMS V 18.7.
I am continually prompted to save changes to query windows when closing them, even though "Prompt To Save unsaved T-SQL query windows on close" is unchecked.

In fact, the "Prompt To Sqve unsaved T-SQL query windows on close" option seems to have no effect on anything.

How do I stop this behavior?

CathyJi-MSFT 22,396 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2021-10-08T01:10:11.423+00:00

Hi @WILLIAM BEHNING ,

We have not received a response from you. Did the reply(s) could help you? If the response helped, do "Accept Answer". If it is not work, please let us know the progress. By doing so, it will benefit all community members who are having this similar issue. Your contribution is highly appreciated.
John Linton 5 Reputation points

2024-01-23T13:04:23.62+00:00

This is HUGELY annoying and has been a deliberate style bug of MS for a decade+ now. I have asked repeatedly for them to allow users to treat SQL query windows a scratch pads and not waste their time answering that annoying close query all day. Devs often are scribbling queries and do not want to go through that extra click (and pointing mouse first) all day. MS continues to hold that somehow this violates their universal MS Office style for unsaved documents. I think it's quite dumb not to give users (especially heavy users) such an obvious option to an annoying GUI tick.
wu 0 Reputation points

2025-05-11T02:33:14.6466667+00:00

instead of prompt every t-sql statement, I suggest ssms only prompt those t-query statement that you didn't executed, save a backup as cache when user close them, and provides a way to re-open it again.

2 answers

Your answer

CathyJi-MSFT 22,396 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2021-10-08T01:10:11.423+00:00

Hi @WILLIAM BEHNING ,

We have not received a response from you. Did the reply(s) could help you? If the response helped, do "Accept Answer". If it is not work, please let us know the progress. By doing so, it will benefit all community members who are having this similar issue. Your contribution is highly appreciated.
John Linton 5 Reputation points

2024-01-23T13:04:23.62+00:00

This is HUGELY annoying and has been a deliberate style bug of MS for a decade+ now. I have asked repeatedly for them to allow users to treat SQL query windows a scratch pads and not waste their time answering that annoying close query all day. Devs often are scribbling queries and do not want to go through that extra click (and pointing mouse first) all day. MS continues to hold that somehow this violates their universal MS Office style for unsaved documents. I think it's quite dumb not to give users (especially heavy users) such an obvious option to an annoying GUI tick.
wu 0 Reputation points

2025-05-11T02:33:14.6466667+00:00

instead of prompt every t-sql statement, I suggest ssms only prompt those t-query statement that you didn't executed, save a backup as cache when user close them, and provides a way to re-open it again.

Answer 1

Erland Sommarskog 121.4K MVP Volunteer Moderator

I also have it unchecked. Since I mainly use SSMS for scratch windows (I edit SQL code in a different editor), I have little reason to be nagged about saving windows.

But as you say, SSMS till often asks about saving unchanged windows. It does not seem consistent, though. For instance, right now, I had two query windows, both changed. I tried to close SSMS, and one window was closed, but I was nagged about the other.

Ideally, I would like to get questions for windows that actually are tied to a file, and not just a generic SqlQueryn window.

I guess I have given up that Microsoft will ever get this.

George Brooks 1 Reputation point

2022-02-01T16:47:32.207+00:00

Where is the option to disable prompt?
Erland Sommarskog 121.4K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2022-02-01T21:52:53.467+00:00

See below.
John Linton 5 Reputation points

2024-01-23T13:10:40.47+00:00

That option does not work.

Answer 2

CathyJi-MSFT 22,396 Microsoft External Staff

Hi @WILLIAM BEHNING ,

I test this in SSMS 18.8 and SSMS 18.9.1 in my environment. It works well. SSMS will not prompted to save changes to query windows when closing them, if "Prompt To Save unsaved T-SQL query windows on close" is unchecked in SSMS 18.8 or SSMS 18.9.1.

Suggest you using a newer version SSMS, you can download it from this link.

If the response is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and upvote it, as this could help other community members looking for similar thread.

WILLIAM BEHNING 36 Reputation points

2022-11-28T18:53:31.597+00:00

This continues to be an issue even being fully updated.

Right click on any table and choose the "select top 1000 rows"
Make a change to the existing query like adding an "Order By" clause.
Execute the query.
Close the query window and the user will be prompted with a window to save the query.
Barney Goette 0 Reputation points

2023-10-27T21:22:28.2733333+00:00

I have the same issue running v19.1. No matter how I close a tab/window/full program it always asks to save.
Erland Sommarskog 121.4K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2023-10-27T21:26:49.42+00:00

And to add insult to injury: I start SSMS, and I have selected the option to open a new query window on start up. Then I close SSMS immediately (I have SSMS in my startup folder, but I may need reboot because of a Windows update.) Now I am prompted to save "Solution1", whatever that is. Highly irritating, since SSMS will then prevent the reboot until I act on that question.
John Linton 5 Reputation points

2024-01-23T13:11:41.7533333+00:00

This is so simple to fix yet they won't do it.
Phil Parkin 0 Reputation points

2024-05-31T09:00:45.4233333+00:00

This irritating problem continues in V20.1. Can't find a way of opting out of the auto-creation of an SSMS 'solution' whenever I open it, which leads to the unwanted Save dialog.

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Prompt To Save unsaved T-SQL query windows on close

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