How to change your default save location in Microsoft Word

Updated: 05/01/2023 by Computer Hope
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By default, Microsoft Word saves documents in the My Documents or Documents folder, depending on the version of Microsoft Windows on your computer. If you prefer a different folder to be the default save location, you can change that default location.

To learn how to change the default save location in Microsoft Word, follow the steps below.

Note

The default save location in Microsoft Word Online (the web version) is your OneDrive account and cannot be changed.

  1. Click File or the Office logo at the top-left part of the Microsoft Word program window, depending on your version of Word.
  2. Click Options on the bottom left side, or click Word Options on the bottom of the pop-up window, depending on your version of Word.
  3. Click Save on the left side of the Options window.
  4. Look for Default local file location and click Browse to the right of this option.
  5. Choose the location you want your files to save and click OK.
  6. Once you're back to the Word Options window, click OK.