In this section I will show you how to automatically backup your Microsoft WORD 2007 documents and how to automatically save your Microsoft WORD 2007 and Microsoft EXCEL 2007 documents every X number of minutes using their respective options/settings. Knowing these options/settings can be a lifesaver.

This first example shows you how to setup Microsoft WORD 2007 so that it saves your documents automatically every X number of minutes. Begin by opening Microsoft WORD 2007 and then click on its OFFICE (round) button, located in the top-left corner, that turns orange when you hover over it. Doing so will bring up the following, File Menu, window.

Fig 1.0  Click on the WORD OPTIONS button to continue

With the File Menu window displayed (above) look towards its bottom-left corner and you will see two buttons - The WORD OPTIONS button and the EXIT WORD button. Click on the WORD OPTIONS button (above) to bring up the Word Options window (below).

Fig 1.1  Tick the option SAVE AUTORECOVER INFORMATION EVERY ??? MINUTES and then set the number of minutes

The Word Options window is split into two panes. The categorized OPTIONS pane on the left-hand-side and the SETTINGS pane on the right-hand-side. The SETTINGS pane displays the settings/options belonging to the currently selected OPTION.

In this example you need to click on the categorized option called SAVE and then make sure its option called SAVE AUTORECOVER INFORMATION EVERY ??? MINUTES is set (ticked). After that you can change its MINUTES setting, if need be, from 10 Minutes to say 20 Minutes. It is up to you. The MINUTES setting ranges from every 1 Minute to every 120 Minutes (every 2 Hours).

The SAVE AUTORECOVER INFORMATION EVERY ??? MINUTES option allows you to set the time, in minutes, when Microsoft Word 2007 will automatically save Recovery Information that relates to your currently opened document(s). This then enables Microsoft Word 2007 to try and recover any unreadable documents that may of been corrupted, due to Windows 7 and/or Office 2007 failing/crashing for example, by way of retrieving previously recoverable documentation/data. In other words. Microsoft Word 2007 might be able to reconstruct a damaged document to its previous, last saved, state if enough recovery data was saved.

Besides saving recovery data Microsoft Word 2007 can also save a complete backup of each document. This next option is not set (ticked) by default (normal behaviour), for some strange reason, but certainly should be ticked by you if you want to help prevent losing a valuable document in the future. Click on the categorized option called ADVANCED to begin and then set (ticked) the option/setting called ALWAYS CREATE BACKUP COPY.

Fig 1.2  Scroll down the page - Tick the option (setting) called ALWAYS CREATE BACKUP COPY to continue

One thing to remember about setting (ticking) the ALWAYS CREATE BACKUP COPY option is that although it is better than the SAVE AUTORECOVER INFORMATION EVERY ??? MINUTES recovery option, because it makes an actual copy of a document rather than just recovery data every time you exit word, it uses up storage space (i.e. hard drive space). This is fine for normal usage but if you work on big files, that are now automatically backed up, it does not take too many big backed up documents to start making a difference on your hard drive space. This can run into MegaBytes in the long run (i.e. after 2 to 6 months). Something worth considering if you have an old, wearing, hard drive that already creeks/grinds.

You can set Microsoft EXCEL 2007 to automatically SAVE AUTORECOVER INFORMATION EVERY ??? MINUTES as well. Setting up this option is similar to the above Microsoft WORD 2007 process. Simply open Microsoft EXCEL 2007, click on its OFFICE (round) button and then click on the EXCEL OPTIONS button (below). From there. Click on the categorized option called SAVE, set (tick) its option called SAVE AUTORECOVER INFORMATION EVERY ??? MINUTES and then change the MINUTES setting if need be. The MINUTES setting ranges from every 1 Minute to every 120 Minutes (every 2 Hours).

Fig 1.3  Click on the EXCEL OPTIONS button to continue




Fig 1.4  Tick the option SAVE AUTORECOVER INFORMATION EVERY ??? MINUTES and then set the number of minutes

Microsoft EXCEL 2007 does not have an option for automatic backup, like Microsoft WORD 2007, as far as I know. Therefore get into a routine of saving a backup copy of all your documents (spreadsheets), onto a Flash Drive for example, at least once a week. You should also apply this same routine for saving a manual backup of all your Microsoft WORD 2007 documents.

Microsoft product screen shot(s) reprinted with permission from Microsoft Corporation.  As stated here by the Microsoft Corporation.