The ever-important Save As dialog box
2. Typically, the Save In drop-down list in the dialog box will suggest your My Documents
folder as the place to save the document. If it doesn’t, you can choose My Documents from
that drop-down list, or from the buttons at the left side of the dialog box, or from the list of
folders shown below the Save In dialog box (if it’s available here).
Tip Remember, documents that you save in My Documents aren’t accessible to other people
who use this computer. If you want to share this document with others, choose Shared
Documents from the Save In drop-down list.
3. Next to File Name, type in a name for the document. Try to think of a name that will make it
easy to identify the document later. Try to limit the name to three or four words, maximum,
so you don’t end up with extremely long file names cluttering up your Windows Explorer
window in the future.
4. Click the Save button.
The Save As dialog box closes and you’re returned to your program and document. You might notice
the title bar of the program now shows the name of the document on which you’re working.
When you save a document, you save all work you’ve done up until the moment you save. If you
change or add to the document, you must specifically save the document again to save those changes
or additions. To save a document that already has a file name, choose File Save from the program’s
menu bar once again. Alternatively, you can click the little Save button in the toolbar (if any), or press
Ctrl+S. You won’t be prompted to enter a file name again because you already gave the document a file
name the first time you saved it. However, rest assured that the copy of the document that’s safely
stored on your disk exactly matches the copy you’re now viewing on your screen.
Tip Many programs offer an “autosave” feature that will automatically save your work
from time to time. This is a great safety device. To see whether a program offers
this feature, search its help for the term autosave.
If you ever want to save the current version of a document under a new name, so that you don’t alter
the original copy, choose File Save As from the program’s menu bar. There you can enter a new
name for this copy. Your original copy will remain unchanged, with the file name you originally gave to it.