Excel includes the ability to save automatic backups of your workbooks, and this can be controlled on a workbook-by-workbook basis. If your system is configured to create backups automatically, you may want to modify whether a backup is created for a particular workbook. In order to turn it off for a specific workbook you need to follow these steps:
Figure 1. The General Options dialog box.
Following these steps affects only the current workbook; other workbooks remain unchanged in their behavior.
One thing that should be noted when working with Excel—it is easy to confuse automatic backups with AutoRecover. These are not the same. AutoRecover is a way to save temporary information, between "hard saves," so that you can recover a workbook on which you are working if the power goes out. Automatic backups are copies of your workbook saved whenever you save the workbook itself. Since AutoRecover and automatic backups are two different features of Excel, changing the settings of one feature doesn't affect the other at all.
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2018-09-17 14:21:22
Sheena Chatarpal
I check the box to create a backup. It does create an backup file but it is blank. How can this be fixed?
2018-07-07 12:11:31
Hemasagar
Is it option help only to take backup once at the starting of the day?
2017-05-24 14:38:25
Vicki
Is there a way to globally disable the "Always Save Backup". I have an SSIS package/job that generates many Excel reports daily. How can the Excel reports be generated with the "Always Save Backup" unchecked/disabled? It is not reasonable to go into each Excel file and walk thru the steps to uncheck the option in each Excel report every day. Please provide a way to disable the feature.
2017-03-25 19:49:54
ExcelUserAnonymous
You can also use a third party application, like Cel Tools, to automatically save backups of every excel document you open. The trial has a fully functional backup system and other useful tools that are completely free. Just a though, it saves the hassle of making those changes for every workbook ;)
http://www.graytechnical.com/celtools/
2016-08-24 08:26:51
Darren
Hello, is there any way to give a path to where you want the back up created? I want a back up every time I save but I don't want it in the same folder. I would like to hide it a bit.???
2016-05-20 03:59:09
Bren Sheehan
Thanks again Willy - I have answered my own question - it does create the backup in the same folder as the original. As always, useful tip for which I thank you.
2016-05-19 14:48:17
Bren Sheehan
Thanks Willy - that tells me when the automatic backups are saved (i.e. "whenever you save the workbook itself") but it doesn't tell me where they get stored - is it to the same location as the workbook being backed up?
2016-05-19 11:16:15
Willy Vanhaelen
@Bren Sheehan
It is mentioned in the last but one sentence of this tip: "Automatic backups are copies of your workbook saved whenever you save the workbook itself."
2016-05-18 09:08:31
Bren Sheehan
Hi - I may have missed this, but where do the automatic backups get stored?
Thanks
2016-05-18 08:22:34
Alison Miller
Once you have done this, how do you find where the backup is saved if you ever need it?
2016-04-15 15:07:00
G. Ruth Grant
How to always create backup Excel 2013 template
Word 2013 makes automatic backup. Excel 2013 does not.
2016-01-07 14:45:44
This is the same questions as Laurie. I want to turn it off in the system (globally) not just by file. We back up our entire system every night.
EXCEPT I need/want to turn off automatic BACKUPS globally in Excel 2010. I am NOT referring to auto-recover/save. It is creating multiple backups of the many files I work on every day. It only started this in the last month or so. I am a trainer of Excel and a frequent-saver; I should know this. How do I turn this off??
2015-09-06 18:16:24
Jeremy Taylor
Hi there,
This is an excellent tip.
I have a question. Is there a way that I can set up a file to auto save at a certain time? ie at midnight or a once a day backup?
I seem to recall (but cannot locate the tips anywhere) that you can auto save a backup once a day
2015-08-26 17:39:33
harry
Ditto for Laurie and Glyn. Surely there is a way to turn this OFF globally. Anyone know?
2015-01-21 05:41:16
Mike McCann
I have tried using this feature but when I open my Back up copy it is blank
I cannot find a way to resolve this . Any Ideas, Please
2014-11-25 11:54:47
Glyn
My comment is EXACTLY the same as Laurie. Why can't I be allowed to control my own backups?
How do I unconfigure this annoying recent change?
2014-10-06 12:38:31
Laurie
EXCEPT I need/want to turn off automatic BACKUPS globally in Excel 2010. I am NOT referring to auto-recover/save. It is creating multiple backups of the many files I work on every day. It only started this in the last month or so. I am a trainer of Excel and a frequent-saver; I should know this. How do I turn this off??
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