# How compulsively do you hit "save" when working at your computer? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 10, 2021, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-compulsively-do-you-hit-save-when-working-at-your-computer/939720 "2021-04-10T03:20:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![XOldiesJock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ec9cab/32.png) [@XOldiesJock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XOldiesJock)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2021, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-compulsively-do-you-hit-save-when-working-at-your-computer/939720/21 "2021-04-11T01:07:59Z")
I work with Adobe Premiere, which is video editing software. It’s prone to the occasional crash or freeze-up, especially when importing video or audio, and usually when I’ve spent the last umpteen minutes making critical adjustments to a project and gotten everything-just-right before importing that last part. The program autosaves every once in a while, but I’ve learned to hit Ctrl+S whenever I’ve done something that will take a long time to replicate, or just whenever I think of it, so I probably save quite often out of habit. ---
**Author:** ![blabbermeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9a140/32.png) [@blabbermeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blabbermeister)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2021, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-compulsively-do-you-hit-save-when-working-at-your-computer/939720/22 "2021-04-11T01:34:09Z")
> [@Terminus\_Est](#): > > > [@blabbermeister](#): > > > > There’s a “Save” in the File menu? > > There’s a File menu? 😁 LOL There’s an important time _not_ to save, and that’s when you’ve done a time-consuming filter in Excel and now you want to show all the rows again. Excel can take 20 minutes to do that, and it’s much faster to close the filtered file without saving, and then reopen it. Hope you saved _before_ doing the filter, though! ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2021, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-compulsively-do-you-hit-save-when-working-at-your-computer/939720/23 "2021-04-11T01:40:10Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > > [@BigT](#): > > > > It doesn’t help that, in the past, I’ve actually been bit by saving too much, finding it hard to go back to an earlier version that was better. So compulsive saving would require constantly using Save As, or pausing my workflow to be 100% sure there’s no change I’ll need to go back to an earlier version. > > I would argue that if you can’t undo/redo and go back in time to earlier versions, that represents a defect in the autosave system. Possible workarounds include a filesystem that handles fine-grained versioning and history without depending on the application to keep track of things. I was unclear here. That’s not something that happens with autosaving programs. Every autosaving programs I know keeps snapshots. It’s what would happen when I would save with Ctrl-S all the time. My point is that, to do snapshots manually, you have to do more than press Ctrl-S. You have to press Ctrl-Shift-S to pull up the Save As dialog and then change the name of the file so it won’t be overwritten. It was a statement of a weakness in making Ctrl-S a habit, and part of why I never did so. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2021, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-compulsively-do-you-hit-save-when-working-at-your-computer/939720/24 "2021-04-11T03:00:14Z")
I hit it when I think of it. Note that once you save something for the first time in Word, it will automatically save every few minutes. If the system crashes, you’ll be given the option to open the most recent version. The current version of Word also offers the option to autosave in your OneDrive. Google Docs save automatically as you type. ---
**Author:** ![FloxenTurtle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FloxenTurtle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloxenTurtle)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2021, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-compulsively-do-you-hit-save-when-working-at-your-computer/939720/25 "2021-04-11T04:27:27Z")
I do this it about every minute or so. I used a Mac back when 512 _kilobytes_ was considered “Fat”, and a 20 megabyte hard drive was considered equivalent to Thor’s Hammer. I also used to reinstall the OS (macOS 6) every week-end. Partly just for fun, partly because - either bugs crept up or I just thought they did. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2021, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-compulsively-do-you-hit-save-when-working-at-your-computer/939720/26 "2021-04-11T10:09:07Z")
I meant that “good” autosaving programs let you undo past a save point no matter how many times or how often you hit “Ctrl-S”, and that a workaround for programs that do not is to rely on the operating system to keep track of all the older versions so that you do not have to rename anything manually. Also, sometimes the application will automatically make numbered backups. ---
**Author:** ![Kzbre5m](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f08c70/32.png) [@Kzbre5m](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kzbre5m)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2021, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-compulsively-do-you-hit-save-when-working-at-your-computer/939720/27 "2021-04-11T19:21:09Z")
My AutoCAD has autosave of some sort, but I still try to remember to “Save Early; Save Often”. If it crashes (not often, but usually because I’m overloading the computer), it brings up a list of all drawings in various formats (dwg, bak, and sav) that I can open. (“All” meaning from the most recent file to “I haven’t touched that drawing in years – where did I even save it to??”) The icon for “save” (various programs) is a 3-1/2" disk – how many young’uns even know what that is? ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-compulsively-do-you-hit-save-when-working-at-your-computer/939720/28 "2021-04-12T01:20:35Z")
Constantly, especially if I’m going to go away from the computer for a moment to use the loo or whatever. The main software I use has an autosave feature, but once it crashed and it turned out not to have saved the last half hour’s work (even in back-up format). A co-worker has reported a similar issue but she lost more than two hours’ work. Crtl-s then enter to confirm is not a huge hassle. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-compulsively-do-you-hit-save-when-working-at-your-computer/939720/29 "2021-04-12T13:18:04Z")
Since starting to work from home, I’ve found that the VPN connection can crash, and in that case the most recent document doesn’t always get saved. If I’m going to be away from the computer for any length of time I usually close the documents on Word entirely. On major docs, I save previous drafts from time to time, just out of abundance of caution. I have on occasion accidentally deleted a document, and then have to rely on IT to find a previous version. Easier to curse at myself and re-open an older version. ---
**Author:** ![Kzbre5m](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f08c70/32.png) [@Kzbre5m](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kzbre5m)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-compulsively-do-you-hit-save-when-working-at-your-computer/939720/30 "2021-04-12T15:44:00Z")
That sounds similar to my reluctance to run programs over the internet (web-based programs?). My internet is fairly stable, but one blip can mess things. Even editing a drawing stored on an external hard-drive via usb. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-compulsively-do-you-hit-save-when-working-at-your-computer/939720/31 "2021-04-12T18:58:29Z")
Alt, F, S regularly every few minutes. I’ve lost too much work before I started doing that. Come to think of it though, Windows/computers are a lot more reliable now overall. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-compulsively-do-you-hit-save-when-working-at-your-computer/939720/32 "2021-04-12T19:44:42Z")
I agree about the diskette icon. On a similar thought: the clipboard is where you put things you cut out of the piece of paper using the scissors. Say what? (It’s been a long time since I’ve manually cut parts of a printed page apart and pasted them - taped them - back together). Don’t get started on what CC: really means. Back to autosave: From [support.microsoft.com](http://support.microsoft.com) blah blah blah: > Note AutoRecover or AutoSave does not replace the Save command. You should use the Save command to save your document at regular intervals and when you finish working on it. > AutoRecover is only effective for unplanned disruptions, such as a power outage or a crash. AutoRecover files are not designed to be saved when a logoff is scheduled or an orderly shutdown occurs. So, yeah, Save early and often. I ask my students in the Office class: remember the name of the company that makes Office. That’s scares them. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-compulsively-do-you-hit-save-when-working-at-your-computer/939720/33 "2021-04-13T03:58:41Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > Alt, F, S regularly every few minutes. I’ve lost too much work before I started doing that. Perfect User-name - post combo. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kzbre5m](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f08c70/32.png) [@Kzbre5m](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kzbre5m)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-compulsively-do-you-hit-save-when-working-at-your-computer/939720/34 "2021-04-13T11:15:22Z")
> [@JohnGalt](#): > > Don’t get started on what CC: really means. Long ago I’ve seen real live BCC: 's on purchase order forms. Hand cut carbon paper, not the carbonless ones. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-compulsively-do-you-hit-save-when-working-at-your-computer/939720.md?page=1)