Microsoft Word forcing you to save new files to the cloud? Here's how to stop it

Lance Whitney / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET's key takeaways Word will save new documents to the cloud by default. AutoSave will also be enabled by default. You can turn off these options if you prefer to save your files locally. Microsoft has long been pushing Office and OneDrive users to save their documents to the cloud by default. Now, the company is getting even more aggressive with a feature coming to Microsoft Word. AutoSave is the default Currently rolling out to Windows Insiders is a new cloud-first creation process for people who use Word and OneDrive, Microsoft revealed in a OneDrive presentation on Wednesday. Any document you try to save for the first time will, by default, be saved to your online OneDrive space. Further, the AutoSave option will also be turned on, meaning your documents will automatically be saved periodically, but again to the cloud. Also: Is OneDrive sending your Windows files to the cloud? Here's why - and what you can do Of course, Microsoft touts this as a positive move. And in some ways, it is. With AutoSave enabled, you don't have to remember to manually save your documents. That's certainly helpful in case the local version of a document is ever lost or corrupted. Using OneDrive, your files are synced not just to the cloud, but on your other OneDrive-enabled PCs or devices. I've used OneDrive for years not just to back up my documents, photos, and other files, but to sync them across all my PCs. That means I can start a document on my desktop and then continue where I left off on my laptop. I can also access my Office files on my iPhone or iPad when I'm on the go. But I'm not a big fan of saving files directly to OneDrive in the cloud. I prefer to save my files locally and then allow them to sync to OneDrive in the background. I want OneDrive to do its work seamlessly without getting in my face. Plus, OneDrive is far from perfect. The syncing process sometimes goes awry, which is another reason I'd rather work locally. Also: 7 quick ways to make Windows 11 less annoying right now Over the years, Microsoft has tweaked certain features to try to force you to use the cloud. As one example, the company enables a file backup feature in Windows through which your Documents, Pictures, Desktop, Photos, and Videos folders are automatically backed up to your OneDrive storage. By doing this, however, your personal folders get moved to a different location. You may not even be aware that this feature is enabled unless you check the settings in OneDrive. In some instances, the AutoSave option in Microsoft 365 is already turned on by default, whether you want it or not. I certainly like the idea of automatically saving my documents and spreadsheets. But this option works only with the cloud. You can't modify AutoSave to save your files locally. How to avoid the cloud I've already had to tweak the settings in both OneDrive and Microsoft 365 to make sure my files are stored locally by default. And it looks like I'll have to do that again when the new cloud-first creation process arrives for all Word users. If you're in the same boat and want to avoid the cloud by default, here's what to do. In OneDrive, go to Settings and select the option for Manage backup in the Sync and backup section. Turn off the switches to back up each of your personal folders. Further down the same screen, select Advanced settings and click the button to download all files. As long as you have enough hard drive space for all your folders and files, this means you won't have to go to the cloud to access them directly. Also: How you can get Microsoft 365 (formerly Office) for free - 3 easy ways Next, you'll need to tweak certain options in each Microsoft 365 application you use, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Open each program. If you see the AutoSave option enabled on the Quick Access Toolbar, just click the switch to turn it off. Next, click File, select Options, and go to the Save section in the Options window. Uncheck "AutoSave files stored in the cloud by default." Check "Save to Computer by default." And then make sure the default file location points to a local folder on your hard drive. Also: Why you need a cloud service in 2025 (and the 7 best I've used) I wish Microsoft made it easier to work with your files locally by default. But the company takes the opposite approach. Thankfully, though, you can customize your settings to avoid the cloud as much as possible. Get the morning's top stories in your inbox each day with our Tech Today newsletter.