Excel 2010

Saving workbooks

Video: Saving Workbooks in Excel 2010

When you create a new workbook in Excel, you'll need to know how to save it to access and edit it later. excel allows you to save your documents in several ways.

Optional: You can download this example for extra practice.

To use the Save As command:

Save As allows you to choose a name and location for your workbook. Use it if you are saving a workbook for the first time or if you want to save a different version of a workbook while keeping the original.

1. Click the File tab.
2. Select Save As.
   
3. The Save As dialog box will appear. Select the location where you want to save the workbook.
4. Enter a name for the workbook, then click Save.
   

If you are using Windows 7, you will most likely want to save files to your Documents library. For other versions of Windows, you will most likely want to save files to the My Documents folder. For more information, check out our lessons on Windows 7 and Windows XP.

To use the Save command:

1. Click the Save command on the Quick Access toolbar.
   
2. The workbook will be saved in its current location with the same file name.

If you are saving for the first time and select Save, the Save As dialog box will appear.

To use AutoRecover:

Excel automatically saves your workbooks to a temporary folder while you're working on them. If you forget to save your changes or if Excel crashes, you can recover the autosaved file.

1. Open a workbook that was previously closed without saving.
2. In Backstage view, click Info.
3. If there are autosaved versions of your workbook, they will appear under Versions. Click the file to open it.
   
4. A yellow caution note will appear on the Ribbon of the workbook. To restore this version of the workbook, click Restore, then click OK.
   

By default, Excel autosaves every 10 minutes. If you are editing a workbook for less than 10 minutes, Excel may not create an autosaved version.

If you do not see the file you're looking for—or if you're looking for an autosaved version of a file that has no previously saved versions—you can browse all autosaved files by clicking the Manage Versions button and selecting Recover Unsaved Workbooks from the drop-down menu.