Microsoft 365 apps open files from SharePoint on-premises that aren’t the current version

Symptoms

When you open a Word or PowerPoint file from SharePoint on-premises in a Microsoft 365 desktop app, you see the local cached file instead of the current server document contents. An Updates Available button appears in the middle of the status bar at the bottom of the app window.

Cause

This behavior is by design. The AutoSave feature isn't available in SharePoint on-premises. Therefore, the app doesn't merge the changes from the SharePoint server until you select Updates Available.

Workaround

If you want Office to open the current file on the server every time, you can turn off AutoSave.

Important

If you turn AutoSave off, and then you open files from SharePoint Online, real-time co-authoring will not work. To enable real-time co-authoring, you must manually turn on AutoSave.

Turn off AutoSave on an individual computer

1. Select Start, enter regedit, and then select Registry Editor from the search results.

2. Navigate to the following subkey:

   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\16.0\word

3. Right-click the subkey, select New, and then select DWORD (32-bit value).

4. Name the value autosavebydefaultadminchoice.

5. Right-click the new value, select Modify, and then set the Value data to 2.

6. Navigate to the following subkey:

   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\16.0\powerpoint

7. Repeat steps 3-5 to create the new DWORD value for this subkey.

Turn off AutoSave for all users by IT administrators

For IT administrators who want to turn off AutoSave for all users by using Group Policy, create the DWORD value autosavebydefaultadminchoice in the following registry hives, and set its Hexadecimal value to 2:

• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\word
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\160\powerpoint