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How to Change AutoSave Time in Excel?

Author Sun Last modified

When working in Excel, your data is valuable, and unexpected incidents such as power failures, software crashes, or unintentional computer restarts can lead to data loss. Fortunately, Excel comes equipped with an AutoSave (sometimes referred to as AutoRecover) feature that automatically saves a temporary version of your workbook at set intervals. By default, this interval is set to every 10 minutes. However, if you are working on critical or frequently updated files, you might want to reduce the autosave interval to ensure that your changes are captured more frequently. Adjusting this setting can help minimize the risk of information loss and provide peace of mind as you work on important documents. This tutorial will show you in detail how to change the autosave time in Excel to better suit your working habits and data safety needs.

Change AutoSave Time in Excel

Excel allows users to easily customize the autosave interval according to their workflow. Modifying this setting can help capture changes more frequently or, if you prefer, reduce how often Excel saves temporary versions in the background, which is useful if you are working with large files or experience performance issues. Below are the steps to change the autosave time using Excel Options:

1. Open Excel and click the File tab located at the upper left corner of the window, then select Options near the bottom of the menu. This will open the Excel Options dialog box.

A screenshot of the File and Options menus in Excel

Tip: If you are using Excel 2007, click the Office Button in the top-left corner, then click Excel Options at the bottom to access settings.

2. In the Excel Options dialog box, select Save from the menu on the left. In the Save workbooks section, you'll see the option labeled Save AutoRecover information every xx minutes. Enter your desired interval. For example, you can set it to 2 or 5 to autosave every 2 or 5 minutes.

A screenshot of the Save options in the Excel Options dialog box

Note:
  • The minimum value is 1 minute. Short intervals (like 1–2 minutes) offer stronger protection but may slightly slow Excel performance with large files.
  • If you prefer fewer background operations, you can increase the interval.
  • This setting applies to all workbooks globally — no need to set it again for each file.

3. After entering your preferred interval, click OK to save the changes. Excel will now autosave based on your new setting.

What to Know About AutoSave Settings

Shortening the autosave interval is especially useful for users who frequently update spreadsheets, work with large datasets, or collaborate in shared environments. It greatly reduces the risk of progress loss in case of interruptions.

However, if you experience delays or performance drops during autosave — especially with large workbooks — you may want to experiment with different intervals to find the best balance.

Troubleshooting AutoSave Issues

Reminder: If your file isn’t autosaving as expected:
  • Ensure the checkbox Save AutoRecover information every xx minutes is enabled.
  • Verify that you have write permissions for the AutoRecover folder location.

Extra Tip: Save Manually When Needed

While AutoSave and AutoRecover are great safeguards, they are not substitutes for actively saving your work. It’s a best practice to regularly press Ctrl + S, especially before making major changes or closing a file.

If you ever need to recover unsaved workbooks, see the related article linked below for options and recovery steps.

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