Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, and 2013. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: A Real AutoSave.

A Real AutoSave

by Allen Wyatt
(last updated February 11, 2021)

Word has a built-in AutoSave feature that offers a limited amount of protection for the documents on which you are working. If you have AutoSave turned on, Word periodically (you can define how often) saves a copy of the document on which you are working. These periodic saves are stored in special backup files that Word maintains; it does not store them in the same document as the one on which you are working.

For instance, let's say you are working on a document named Report.docx, and that you have AutoSave enabled and set for every ten minutes. When the ten-minute mark is reached, Word stores the document in a temporary file, not back in Report.docx. The only time that this happens is when you explicitly save the file. Then Report.docx is saved and the temporary file is deleted. When you first start Word, it checks to see if any of these temporary files are on your system. If they are, then it "recovers" those files and gives you the chance to save them, if you desire.

There may be times when you want a real AutoSave instead of one that uses temporary files. For instance, you might want Report.docx saved every ten minutes—automatically. To do this, you need to create your own macros that take care of it for you. The following series of three simple macros will accomplish the task:

Sub AutoOpen()
    WordSaver
End Sub

Sub WordSaver()
    Application.OnTime When:=Now + _
      TimeValue("00:10:00"), _
      Name:="Saver"
End Sub

Sub Saver()
    ActiveDocument.Save
    WordSaver
End Sub

If you save these macros with a document, then they will always provide an AutoSave for that document. The AutoOpen macro is run when the document is first opened, and it runs WordSaver. WordSaver does nothing but run the Saver macro after ten minutes has elapsed. When Saver runs, it saves the active document, and then runs WordSaver again, which starts the ten-minute cycle all over.

There are a couple of drawbacks to these macros. First of all, they can only be used with macro-enabled documents. This means that you need to save the macros with a document that is stored in the .Docm format. Also, there is no way to undo what is saved. With the regular Word AutoSave, you can always close a document without saving any modifications. The third drawback is that if you have multiple documents open at once, these macros will save whichever document is currently active—including one you might not have intended to save. Finally, if you save these macros as part of a template, then when you open a document using that template, ten minutes later a Save As dialog box will appear since your new document is not yet named.

Note:

If you would like to know how to use the macros described on this page (or on any other page on the WordTips sites), I've prepared a special page that includes helpful information. Click here to open that special page in a new browser tab.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (10361) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, and 2013. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: A Real AutoSave.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

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What is two less than 7?

2021-02-12 10:12:43

Andrew

I think if you change "ActiveDocument" to "ThisDocument" in the "Saver" procedure then the routine should only save the actual document in whose module the routine is located, thus solving a number of the problems identified in the tip. I've not tested this, since over the years I've trained myself to be of the "save early and often" persuasion, but I'm just putting it out there.

2021-02-11 09:04:18

Bob Mathews

What you're referring to as "AutoSave", isn't it really "AutoRecover"? My understanding is that AutoSave is already a "real" auto-save, but only works with documents saved to OneDrive.

2020-07-01 12:32:12

Gavin Schmidt

A better version, works in 2016:

' begin macro document:
Dim myDoc As String ' Global variable to store opened document name

Sub AutoOpen()
myDoc = ActiveDocument.Name 'Store the opened documents name, when opened
WordSaver
End Sub

Sub WordSaver()
Application.OnTime When:=Now + _
TimeValue("00:02:00"), _
Name:="Saver"
End Sub

Sub Saver()
'
' Saver Macro
'
'
Documents(myDoc).Save 'Save only the document including the macro, not the active document
WordSaver
End Sub
' End macro document

2017-08-27 06:45:15

Rocco

Hello, thanks for this tip.
I tried it in Word 2016 but it seems not to work. I have enabled macros in the Trust Center.
Should the code be changed for Word 2016?
Thanks
Rocco

2015-11-15 16:15:34

Rohn MVP

One more point.

Even with this win 10 backup system, I am still a proponent of partitioning your drive into separate OS/Apps and Data partition. Given that HD's are now commonly 250GB and larger, it does not hurt to create a large OS partition 30-80GB+ (depending on how many apps you want to install), and leaving the rest for the data only partition. This way, even if you have to restore the Windows partition / installation you do not impact your data files.

2015-11-15 16:10:42

Rohn MVP

As well as this macro approach, Windows 10 in combination with OneDrive gives the average user the opportunity to easily setup a truly professional backup process. Using Win 10 File History, you get incremental copies to an external drive and using OneDrive Sync you get a 3rd off site copy. Can't ask for more.

This article describes the features and how to set your machine up to take advantage of them. It is a must read for anyone working with sensitive files, ie a "Thesis":

Win10’s hybrid backup system

http://windowssecrets.com/top-story/best-of-breed-win10s-hybrid-backup-system/

Excellent article. Read all of the and article and set up all of the features on your system an you will have virtually no worry about losing files again.

This one set of features is almost enough to encourage me to recommend that people upgrade to Win 10 <grin>. Win 10 now allows CONSUMERS to easily do a PROFESSIONAL grade total backup system.

<snip>
With a combination of File History and OneDrive, your files are automatically saved to three separate locations: your primary data drive, your external File History drive, and your secure OneDrive offsite “cloud” account — all in near-real time. This virtually guarantees that you’ll never lose an important file again!
</snip>

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