WD: Where Word Saves Files

ID: Q134725

The information in this article applies to:

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry. Before you edit the registry, you should first make a backup copy of the registry files (System.dat and User.dat). Both are hidden files in the Windows folder.

SUMMARY

This article describes how Word decides where to save new documents and existing documents, and how you can change the folder that Word displays in the Save dialog box.

MORE INFORMATION

When you click Save on the File menu, Word looks in the following places to decide which folder to display in the Save dialog box:

This same hierarchy is used when Word is installed as part of Microsoft Office for Windows 95.

Original Folder

When you save an existing document, Word always saves it in its original location. If you want to change where Word saves an existing file, open the file, click Save As on the File menu, and select a new location.

Documents setting in the Options Dialog Box

When you save a new file, Word proposes that you save the file in the folder specified on the File Locations tab in the Options dialog box.

To change this setting, follow these steps:

1. On the Tools menu, click Options.

2. Click the File Locations tab.

3. Click Documents, and click the Modify button.

4. Type the new path that you want Word to use for opening and saving 

   documents.
5. click OK, and then click Close.

When you make this change, Word registers the location in the Windows 95 Registry with a DOC-PATH setting at the following registry location:

Word 95: 

   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Word\7.0\Options
Word 97: 

   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Word\Options
When Word is initially installed, this setting is left blank by the Setup program. If this setting is left blank (not modified), Word will use the last option in the hierarchy, the "My Documents" folder.

Once you modify the Documents setting, any changes you make in the File Locations tab in the Options dialog box will be registered here even if the setting is returned to the original location (My Documents). This setting will take precedence over the original "My Documents" folder that was set at installation.

My Documents

If the Documents field in the File Locations tab is blank, Word displays the "My Documents" folder in the Save dialog box.

This folder is created during Microsoft Word and Office for Windows setup, and it is registered in the Windows 95 registry. All Office programs save files in this location.

To change where Office applications store their files, you must edit the Windows registry.

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall Windows 95. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

For information about how to edit the registry, view the Changing Keys And Values online Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe). Note that you should make a backup copy of the registry files (System.dat and User.dat) before you edit the registry.

To edit the Windows registry:

1. On the Start menu, click Run.

2. Type REGEDIT, and click OK.

3. Step down through the registry as follows: 

     HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
     \User Shell Folders
4. Select Personal. On the Edit menu, click Modify, and type the Value Data 
   to the desired path.
5. Exit the Registry.

KBCategory: kbusage KBSubcategory:

Additional reference words: word95 7.0 word7 winword word97 8.0 

Version           : 7.0
Platform          : WINDOWS

Last Reviewed: November 17, 1998