A spreadsheet you cannot find again later is not much use to anyone. By the end of this page you will know how to save your work properly, where it goes, and how to get back to it next time you open Excel.
In Excel, a whole file is called a workbook, and it can contain several sheets inside it, a bit like a ring binder holding several pages. Saving a workbook writes it to your computer or to OneDrive so that it survives after you close the programme. The quickest way to save is the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+S, and it is worth using often, not just at the end.
- Choose where it lives
- Give it a clear name
- Click to confirm
The first time you save a brand new workbook, Excel will always behave like Save As, because there is nowhere for it to update yet: it needs a name and a location. You will be offered a choice between OneDrive, which is Microsoft's online storage that you can reach from any device, and This PC, which means the actual hard drive of the computer you are sitting at. If you might want to open the file from a different computer, or you want it backed up automatically, OneDrive is usually the sensible choice. If you want the file to stay firmly on this machine, choose This PC and pick a folder such as Documents.
Try it yourself
Open a new blank workbook and press Ctrl+S.
This starts the save process, and because the file is new, Excel will ask where to put it.
Choose This PC, pick the Documents folder, and give the file a clear name such as 'Practice sheet'.
A clear name makes the file easy to find later, rather than relying on Excel's default name like Book1.
Type something new into a cell, then press Ctrl+S again.
This shows that once a file has a name and location, saving again is instant and silent, no dialogue box appears.
Go to File, then Save As, and save a second copy with a different name.
This demonstrates how Save As branches off a new, separate file, leaving the original untouched.
Close Excel completely, reopen it, and look at the Recent list on the opening screen.
The Recent list shows your most recently opened files, which is often the fastest way back into your work.
Words people use
A good habit is to save early, before you have typed much at all, so the file already has a name and a home. After that, pressing Ctrl+S every few minutes becomes an unconscious habit, and you will rarely lose more than a moment's work.
Check yourself
If you can say yes to each of these, you are ready for the next lesson.
- I know the difference between Save and Save As.
- I can choose between OneDrive and This PC when saving.
- I understand that .xlsx is Excel's normal file type.
- I can find a file again using the Recent list.