Default "Save As" location in Microsoft Office on a Mac

Anonymous
2019-02-28T15:24:52+00:00

When I open a file in Microsoft Office on my Mac, I typically do a "Save As" to append a version number to the file name.  However, by default the "Save As" location is NOT the folder where I opened the file (which is typical behavior in Microsoft Office on Windows...and for that matter any other application on the Mac).  Instead, the default folder is the location of the last file I SAVED in Microsoft Office.  This is extremely annoying, not typical or desired behavior, and is both baffling to me as to why it does this or how I can change to the expected behavior (if open file XYZ from folder ABC, the default "Save As" folder should be ABC).  This is literally annoying to the point that I'm ready to just ditch Microsoft Office on a Mac and move to Pages / Numbers / Keynote.  If anyone knows how to change (or why Microsoft is using this approach) please help me...

Mac OS:  Mojave 10.14.3

Microsoft Office for Mac:  Version 16.22

Posting this to Office -> Word -> Mac topic, though the issue happens to be the same across all Office products (Excel and Powerpoint).

Note, I do use OneDrive, though I just work from local directories and let OneDrive sync to the cloud.

Also note, I posted this question to a Mac forum, and everyone insisted this is a Microsoft issue as the setting for the "Save As" dialog are set by the program you are using (and I confirmed in applications like Pages, Numbers, and Keynote the behavior is correct i.e. as desired and done everywhere else...the default "Save As" is the folder where you opened the file).

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2019-11-08T18:28:21+00:00

It appears I MAY have fixed the problem... I just turned off "Files-on-demand" and "File Collaboration" in my OneDrive preferences and "Save As" defaults to the current file's directory instead of the directory that I most recently saved to.

Can anyone else experiencing this problem confirm that this works as a fix?

Was this answer helpful?

20+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
John Korchok 236.1K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
2019-10-11T16:00:00+00:00

Rena left out some details. She's referring to the hidden Library folder in your user folder. To open it, hold down the Option key while clicking on the Go menu and choose Library. Look inside the window that opens for the folders she cited.

Was this answer helpful?

5 people found this answer helpful.
0 comments

53 additional answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2019-11-08T22:22:10+00:00

    Instead of providing a helpless neutral response (which I imagine was your intention), you, as a moderator,  just provided a deceptive negative response. John's reply marked as an answer has nothing to do with solving the problem.

    I would encourage to be more useful next time...

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2019-10-11T15:16:27+00:00

    Rena, I am having the same problem and all my files are truly a MESS as a result. I can't find anything, things are being saved in the most random places. So frustrating. Also, I'm in Library, Preferences, and there are no files titled.

    ~Library/Preferences/com.microsoft.Word.plist.

    ~Library/Preferences/com.microsoft.Office.plist.

    ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.word

    So I can't even troubleshoot this. 

    This glitch is driving me insane.  

    AND, when you rename your file, THEN click the "on my mac" button the file name goes back to the original. And only sometimes when "saving as" does it try to direct me to onedrive saving. It's a mess.

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2019-08-14T08:34:21+00:00

    Totally agree - but it looks like no one is planning to change the behaviour of Office on Mac anytime soon!

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments