Computer Tutor: Tips & Tricks
Auto Recovery & Recent Files

We thought we'd use this month's Computer Tutor to look at an often neglected feature ... the Auto Recovery option in Word ... and at the Recent Files settings in both Word & Excel.
Both of these features can help you save or find recent documents you might otherwise have given up for lost.

AutoRecovery is fairly simple to set up.  ... In Microsoft Word:

Tools/Options Menu in Word on Save Tab

1. Click on Tools, then Options ...
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2. Select the 'Save' tab ...
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3. Find the checkbox that reads 'Save AutoRecover info every:' and make sure it is checked ...
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4. In the box to the right, set the AutoRecover interval [the default is 10 minutes]
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5. Next [this is optional], select the 'File Locations' tab ...
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6. Under File Types, highlight AutoRecover Files and click on the Modify button ...
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7. In the pop-up window, choose a folder for your AutoRecover file location.  [The default is the Windows Temp folder, but there are obvious advantages to locating your AutoRecover files where you can find them easily.] ...

There are a couple of things to understand about AutoRecovery and other file saving options:

• AutoRecovery is not a substitute for saving your file.
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• It is also not the same as a backup.  A backup actually saves a 2nd copy of your file to your hard disk, thus doubling the disk space used by each file.
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• You can reasonably & safely use the Auto Recovery feature and not use the backup option for files, since the Auto Recovery option will maintain a quasi-backup file ... with no more data lost than the amount you entered during the default interval of 10 minutes or whatever setting you chose.   

Recent Files are listed at the bottom of the File menu, so that you're able to open your most recent documents by simply clicking on the file name in the list.  {These same documents will show up on the Start/Documents list from the Windows taskbar, along with recent files from other programs.}

In general, we don't find ourselves using the Recent Files list that much ... unless we worked on a file, saved it, then were unable to find it where we thought we put it.  ...

In short, the best use we know of for Recent Files is to find recently misplaced documents ...

You can set the number of files that this feature will keep track of for you.  In either Word or Excel:

1. Click on Tools, then Options ...
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2. Select the 'General' tab ...
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3. Find the checkbox marked Recently used file list and make sure it is checked ...
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4. In the entries box to the right, set the number of recently used files you'd like to keep track of.  [The default is 4 and the max. is 9.]

Both Auto Recovery and Recent Files can save you time and avoid unnecessary frustration.  There's really no reason not to use them ... even if they only come in handy once in a while.

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