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. (These backups are stored in the same folder as the original workbook being backed up.) 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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2018-11-13 10:00:46
Jim Foote
I'm not looking for Autorecover since i understand that the Autorecover file is erased when Excel is closed correctly. I'm looking for a way to save a copy of an Excel file via Auto Backup on a flash drive, which would remain intact when Excel closes and would be accessible if the entire computer goes south. Currently, Auto Backup saves to the computer hard drive. If the hard drive fails, goodbye Excel file.
2018-11-12 10:51:09
David Gray
For me, this tip was a twofer. Not only did it call out the fairly well-hidden backup option, but it brought to my attention that F12 opens the Save As dialog box straight away.
2018-11-11 16:36:02
Allan
Jim,
This is for Excel 2007.
1 If you already have a folder that you want these to be placed in continue on to step 2. If you don't have a folder, create one. For instance, I have a
Desktop folder named "Al's Excel Autorecover". All of my Autosaved and Autorecover Excel items automatically go here.
2 Open your Excel Workbook
3 Office Button
4 Excel Options>Save
5 Type in "Autorecover file location:" whatever location you chose in step 1 OK
2018-11-10 07:08:12
Jim Foote
How do you save automatic backups to a folder different than the one the original workbook is in?
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