8 Ways to Fix Excel AutoSave Not Working

Many users have reported that AutoSave is not working on Microsoft Office programs like Excel, PowerPoint, and Word. The reasons for this issue could be corrupted files, conflicting add-ins, or a damaged Office app.

First, check the file in question to ensure it doesn’t have older file formats such as .xls, .doc, or .ppt, then proceed to detailed solutions.

How can I fix AutoSave not working in Excel?

1. Check if the AutoSave feature is enabled

1. Press the Windows key, type excel in the search bar, and click Open.
2. Go to File.
3. Click Options.
4. Click the Save section from the left pane on the Excel Options window.
5. Locate the Save AutoRecover information every—minute option, select it, and mention the time in minutes in the blank.
6. Locate and place a checkmark next to Keep the last AutoRecovered version if I close without saving box option. 
7. You can also place a checkmark next to the AutoSave files stored in the Cloud by default in Excel.
8. Click OK to save the changes.

2. Use the Open and Repair option

1. On Excel, go to File, click Open, and then Browse. 
2. From the following window, choose the file you have issues with.
3. Select the Open and Repair option from the Open drop-down menu and press Enter.
4. You will get a prompt with two options: Extract Data and Repair. Use Repair if you want to fix the corrupt Excel workbook. However, you can choose Extract Data to extract formulas and values from the sheet.

3. Resave the temp files

1. Press Windows + E to open the File Explorer window.
2. Navigate to this path after replacing <username> with the username of your account on your device : C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Excel\
3. If you can’t find the unsaved files there, go to this path: C:\Users\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\UnsavedFiles
4. If you locate the Excel temp file, press F2 and rename it with an XLS file format to recover the Workbook.

4. Update the Excel app

1. Press the Windows key, type excel in the search bar, and click Open.
2. Go to File.
3. Click Account.
4. From the right pane, click Update options, and from the drop-down, click Update Now.

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5. Disable the Add-ins

1. Press the Windows key, type excel in the search bar, and click Open.
2. Go to File.
3. Click Options.  
4. Now select Addins.
5. Locate Manage, choose Excel Add-ins from the drop-down, and click Go.
6. Remove the checkmark next to all the Add-ins listed and click OK.

Conflicting add-ins can also cause issues like Excel files not opening on Windows 11; however, there could be other reasons too, here is a detailed guide for you.

6. Remove security features

1. Press the Windows key, type excel in the search bar, and click Open.
2. Go to File.
3. Select Info.
4. Click Protect Workbook, then select Encrypt with Password from the drop-down menu. 
5. In the following window, remove password protection and save the changes.
6. Again, navigate to File > Info > Protect Workbook> Restrict Access and select Unrestricted Access.

7. Refresh data when opening the file (applicable if you have Table/Pivot Table in a file)

1. Choose the table or Pivot table and go to Table Tools Design.
2. Click Refresh and select Connection Properties from the context menu.
3. Now, remove the checkmark next to Refresh data when opening the file.

8. Repair/reinstall the Microsoft Office

1. Press Windows + I to open the Windows Settings app.
2. Go to Apps, then click Installed apps.  
3. Locate Microsoft Office, click the three-dot icon, and select Modify.
4. Click Yes on the UAC prompt.
5. From the pop-up window, select Quick Repair and then click the Repair button to initiate the process.
6. If this doesn’t help, you can reopen the Installed apps list, locate Microsoft Office, click the three-dot icon, and choose Uninstall.
7. Click Uninstall again.
8. Visit Microsoft’s official website and sign in.
9. Go to Services and subscriptions, locate Microsoft Office, and click Install to get the latest app version.
10. Once the installer is downloaded, double-click it and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

Reinstalling Microsoft Office can also fix other Office apps like Microsoft Excel not opening; check out this guide for other solutions.

How to fix AutoSave issues in OneDrive Excel (Excel on the Web)

If you’re using the OneDrive version and access Excel via Office 365, the steps to fix autosave not working are slightly different:

Verify your permissions

1. Open the worksheet.
2. Go to File> Access> Manage Access.
3. Ensure your account is listed with Can edit. 
4. If you’re in View Only mode, changes won’t save.

Check storage space

1. Go to https://onedrive.live.com and sign in with your Microsoft account.
2. Click the gear icon in the top-right corner of the page.
3. Select “Plans and upgrades” or “Options” from the dropdown menu.
4. In the Storage section, you’ll see your total storage, how much you’ve used, and how much is still available.

If storage is close to being used up, consider upgrading your plan or cleaning up your data, as it’s very possible the progress won’t save.

Clear Browser Cache

1. Open your browser.
2. Click the three dots in the top-right corner.
3. Go to More tools > Clear browsing data.
4. In the popup, set the Time range to “All time”.
5. Check “Cached images and files” (you can leave other options unchecked).
6. Click Clear data.

Corrupted browser data can stop Excel Online from saving. Make sure to clear it out to prevent it.

Also,try opening it in a private window or a different browser to rule out extension or browser issues. If that doesn’t work, download the file, make your changes offline, then re-upload it. It’s not ideal, but it will save your work.

This is how you can fix the AutoSave not working in Microsoft Excel issue; however, if you are dealing with corrupted files in Excel, we have a separate guide for you. You can also locate your autosave Excel files if you were not able to save them for some reason.

Moreover, you can learn how to enable macros to automate tasks.

If you have any questions or suggestions about the Excel AutoSave not working issue, feel free to mention them in the comments section below.