Most features in Microsoft Office, including Word, 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 Word with your Microsoft account.
Whether or not you’re using OneDrive it's important to save your work frequently, in
case Word (or your computer) shuts down unexpectedly.
We'll 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 document, 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 choose Computer… then click Browse to choose a location.
Save the file to this computer.
Click browse to choose a location.
Next enter a file name for the document… 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.
As you can see, the selection defaults to OneDrive.
If you primarily save documents to your computer, you might want to change the default setting,
so This PC 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 Word crashes while you're working, not to worry.
The AutoRecover feature saves a backup copy of your document automatically.
To recover a file that was lost without saving, all you have to do is reopen Word.
The document recovery pane should appear on the left.
Here you can access any auto-saved versions of the file.
By default, Word 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 Word.
This format will make it possible for them to view but not edit the document 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 Word, but it's Word 2003 or earlier,
you'll need to send them a 97-2003 Document 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.
No matter what, you should see basic options like email, present online, and post to blog.
If the document is saved to OneDrive, you can do even more.
For example, 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 document 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 Word is up to you—it just depends on the document.
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.