Most features in Microsoft Office, including Excel, are geared towards saving and sharing
files online.
This is done with OneDrive, which is an online storage space for your documents and files,
so you can access them even when you’re away from your computer.
If you want to use OneDrive, make sure you’re logged into Excel with your Microsoft account.
Whether or not you’re using OneDrive, it's important to save your work frequently, in
case Excel (or your computer) shuts down unexpectedly.
Let’s take a look at the regular Save command first.
You'll find it on the quick access toolbar.
Just click… and if it's a new workbook, you'll be taken to the backstage view.
Here you can save the workbook to OneDrive or your computer.
In this example, we're going to save the file to this computer.
Click browse to choose a location.
Next enter a file name for the workbook… and click Save when you're done.
Now you can save anytime as you continue to work.
All you have to do is click the Save command on the quick access toolbar again.
If you want to save a different version (maybe in a different location, or with a different
file name), you can go to Save As in the backstage view, and follow the same steps.
If you primarily save workbooks to your computer, you might want to change the default setting,
so Computer is always selected.
To do this, click Options in the backstage view.
Then click Save in the left pane… and check the box that says Save to Computer by default.
When you're done, click OK to close the dialog box.
If you ever forget to save, or if Excel crashes while you're working, not to worry.
The AutoRecover feature saves a backup copy of your workbook automatically.
To recover a file that was lost without saving, all you have to do is reopen Excel.
The document recovery pane should appear on the left.
Here you can access any auto-saved versions of the file.
By default, Excel auto-saves every 10 minutes.
So if you're working on something for less than 10 minutes, you may not be able to use
this feature.
Next I'd like to show you how to export your file to an alternative file type.
You can access your options in the backstage view under Export.
PDF is a good choice if you need to send a file to someone who doesn't have Excel.
This format will make it possible for them to view, but not edit the workbook, using
a free program that anyone can download.
Under Change File Type, you can access several other formats depending on what you need.
For example, if the person you're sharing with has Excel, but it's Excel 2003 or earlier,
you'll need to send them a 97-2003 Workbook instead.
Finally, let's take a look at more ways that you can share by going to Share in the backstage
view.
Here, your choices will vary depending on whether or not the file is saved to your OneDrive
account.
For example, if it is saved to OneDrive, you can share it online, and invite specific people
to collaborate with you.
This lets you work on the exact same file with friends, co-workers, and other OneDrive
users, so you don't have to keep track of multiple versions (or pass the workbook back
and forth).
Alternately, you can get a link that you can share any way you want…
How you choose to save and share in Excel is up to you—it just depends on the workbook.
With so many options, you should be able to accomplish exactly what you need, whether
it's exporting your file as a PDF, or sharing it online.