I can't get Excell to do automatic backup

[Joe]

With Word, I can to Options/Advanced/Save and choose to Always create backup
copy. Then, every time I resave a Word 2007 doc, I get the backup with a
..wbk file extension.

I just can't figure out how to do the same with Excel.

There is no comparable Options/Advanced/Save choices. I do see in Word the
AutoRecover option in Options/Save- though there is something weird about
that because it has for a default AutoRecover file location:
C:\Users\Joseph\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Excel\ but I can't find the
AppData folder unless it's hidden.

In the Excel help file- it has a description of how to "Automatically save a
backup copy of a workbook" but instead of describing how to do that- it
describes the AutoRecover feature. But, that's not what I want- I want to
see the actual backup file get created each time I resave an Excel file-
just like those Word .wbk files.

I'm obviously doing something stupid.

Joe

 

[Bob I]

SaveAs, Tools, General options, tick the box

 

[Joe]

Not with Excel 2007. But when I checked the help file it says:

"You can use AutoRecover to have Microsoft Office Excel automatically save a
backup copy every time that you save a workbook. The backup copy is a copy
of the previously saved version of your workbook. As a result, you have the
current saved information in the original workbook and all previously saved
information in the backup copy. Each time that you save the workbook, a new
backup copy replaces the existing backup copy. Saving a backup copy can
protect your work if you accidentally save changes that you do not want to
keep or delete the original file."

It seems, unlike Word, to be using the AutoRecover feature as a way to have
an automatic backup- but the default location as I noted below doesn't even
exist- so if I had to use the backup I wouldn't be able to find it- unless
that folder is hidden.

I don't know why Excel can't do something simple, make an automatic backup
when a file is saved of the old file and leave it in the same folder- just
change the file ending.

Joe

 

[Bob I]

With Excel 2007, it makes a backup copy. (named Backup of .......xls* )

 

[Gord Dibben]

Excel help is incorrect in this case.

Autorecover only creates a temporary backup while you are working on the
file.

If Excel crashes while file is open you have a "recovery file" to open.

When you close and save the file, the temporary is deleted...........no
backup.

If you want a separate backup when you save you must save as>tools>general
options>always create backup.

Excel will save a backup............*.xlk in same folder as original file.

I can send you the AUTOSAVE.XLA add-in which saves incremental backups as
you work on the file.

Jan Karel Pieterse has an addin called AutoSafe
which doen't alert before saving.

http://www.jkp-ads.com/download.asp

(look for AutoSafe.zip)

It doesn't overwrite the existing workbook when it saves. It saves to a
user selectable folder. And when it's done, it either deletes these backups
(or puts them in the recycle bin). And the user can always restore the
backups from the recycle bin.


Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP

 

[Joe]

OK, I get it- this must be done for each file- not for all files in Excel
Options. Though I now understand it, I don't like it.
Joe