How to AutoSave Excel Spreadsheets: A Detailed Guide

The AutoSave feature automatically saves your workbook at a specified interval in Excel. This is helpful if you want to ensure your work is saved in case of a power outage or unexpected shutdown. Therefore, you might be thinking about how to AutoSave Excel files.

If you are wondering how to AutoSave in Excel on mac, open Excel software and click the Excel menu in the toolbar. Choose the Preferences option and click the Save icon. Check the box next to AutoSave. To turn on AutoSave in Office 365, go to the Excel File tab, click Save As, and choose your OneDrive account. Select the sub-folder and set the file name. Click Save.

In this article, we will provide detailed step-by-step instructions on how to AutoSave Excel spreadsheet and prevent you from losing data valuable data.

Part 1. AutoSave vs. AutoRecover

There are two key features in Microsoft Excel: AutoSave and AutoRecover. These features are designed to save your work automatically, but they work slightly differently.

AutoSave Excel feature automatically saves your work at regular intervals, so you can pick up where you left off if there's an interruption.

AutoRecover, on the other hand, helps you recover your workbook automatically if Excel detects that the application has unexpectedly closed. This means that if you face a power outage or your computer crashes, you may be able to retrieve your unsaved files with this feature.

It depends on which of these features is more beneficial for your workflow and how often you manually save your work. If you always want to save your files frequently, AutoSave may be more helpful, as it will ensure your file is saved even if you forget to do it manually. 

However, if you're more likely to forget to save your work, AutoRecover may be a better option, as it could help you recover unsaved files that you otherwise would have lost.

Part 2. How to Turn on AutoSave in Excel Mac

If you're using Excel on your MacBook, you can enable the AutoSave feature to ensure your work is always saved. Here's how to turn this feature on:

Step 1: Open the Excel software and click on the Excel menu in the Toolbar. Select Preferences from the menu.

Step 2: Click on the Save icon. Select the AutoSave checkbox.

Now, whenever you make any changes in a workbook, Excel will automatically save it for you, ensuring you never lose any important work.

Part 3. How to Turn on AutoSave in Excel Windows 10

If you're using Excel on a Windows 10 computer, you can turn on Auto save Excel using the Save AutoRecover Information option, so your file is automatically saved as you make changes while working.

Here's how to turn on AutoSave in Excel Windows 10:

Step 1: Open Excel software and click on the File tab. Click on Options and select Save.

Step 2: Under the Save workbooks section, check the box next to Save AutoRecover information every XX minutes. Set the interval to 1 minute to let your Excel save your file every minute.

Step 3: Check the box next to Keep the last AutoRecovered version if I close without saving option and click on OK to confirm your settings.

Part 4. How to Turn on AutoSave in Excel Office 365

Office 365 comes with a built-in AutoSave Excel feature that saves your content in real-time. It is enabled by default in Excel and saves your files to OneDrive, OneDrive for Business, and SharePoint. However, if somehow this option is not enabled, you can turn it on by following these solutions.

Solution 1: Turning On AutoSave From the Save Menu

To turn on the AutoSave feature from the Save menu, do the following steps:

Step 1: Launch your Excel software and click on the File tab.

Step 2: Select Options and open the Save menu.

Step 3: Check the AutoSave OneDrive and SharePoint Online files by default on Excel option to enable the feature and select OK to confirm.

Solution 2: Turning On AutoSave From the Save As Option

To enable the AutoSave option from the Save As option, follow these instructions:

Step 1: Head to the Excel file tab and click Save As. Choose your OneDrive account.

Step 2: Select your sub-folder and enter the file name. Click Save to enable AutoSave on the file for the future.

Part 5. How to Find AutoSaved Documents in Excel

There are two ways to find AutoSaved Excel files:

Solution 1: From OneDrive

To find AutoSave Documents in OneDrive, do the following steps:

Step 1: Open your Excel software, and click the More Workbooks option on the Home page.

Step 2: Select your OneDrive account. Now, search for your file using the search bar or find it in the list of worksheets.

Solution 2: From the Excel AutoSaved Location

Another way to find AutoSaved Excel file is by retrieving it from the Excel AutoSave location. To do so:

Step 1: Launch Excel, click Options and go to Save. Now copy the path for the file location.

Step 2: Head to My PC/This PC, paste the path in the address bar, and hit Enter.

Step 3: Now, find your Excel file and open it. You can save the file on your PC for easy access.

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The Bottom Line

In this article, we discussed how to AutoSave Excel with simple instructions. We provided detailed step-by-step solutions to turn on this feature in Mac, Windows 10, and Office 365. We also discussed the difference between AutoSave and AutoRecover and how you can find Excel documents. 

Hopefully, with the instructions provided above, you can turn on the AutoSave feature in Excel without much effort.