Save AutoRecover Data More or Less Often

SUMMARY: Is 10 minutes too long a time to wait between saving AutoRecover information in Excel 2010 to potentially prevent data loss? Change this interval.

Microsoft Excel 2010 saves AutoRecover data for all open workbooks every 10 minutes. This way if a power outage, program crash, or operating system failure (i.e. the Blue Screen of Death) causes Excel to exit without giving you a chance to save your data, you may still be able to recover some of your edits the next time you start the software.

You may find that 10 minutes is too long; if you perform 9 minutes and 59 seconds of data editing after AutoRecover information was last saved and Excel 2010 then stops, you could lose all of the data in that timeframe. Thus you may wish to reduce this interval to help prevent losing so much work. However, reduce it too much and you might notice Excel pausing too often saving the data while you are viewing and editing worksheets – a potential annoyance if you are entering a large amount of data and are assured of the stability of your software, operating system, electricity, etc.

1. Select the “File” tab in the Ribbon.
2. The Microsoft Office Backstage View appears. Click the “Options” button.
(Or instead of steps 1 and 2, press Alt + T, then the letter O.)

3. The “Excel Options” dialog box appears. Click “Save” in the left pane.
4. In the right pane, underneath “Save workbooks”, make sure “Save AutoRecover information every” is checked.
5. Click on the box to the right and enter the desired number of minutes between saving AutoRecover information, from 1 to 120 minutes.

Configuring Excel 2010 to save AutoRecover information every 3 minutes instead of the default 10

6. Click “OK” on the bottom-right of the dialog box to close it.