Troubleshoot saving files

When you save a file with an extension other than the default for that file type, your Microsoft Office program adds the default extension to the file name. For example, a file name for a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation might appear as Budget.abc.ppt. To save a file with an extension other than the default, enclose the entire file name ("Budget.abc") in quotation marks.

You can't make changes to a read-only file. To save changes, save the file with a new name by using the Save As command on the File menu. You can use the same name if you save the file in a new or different folder.

In Microsoft Windows, file names can contain some punctuation characters, such as commas or periods. When you save a file with a name that ends with a period— for example, Sales.— Microsoft Office programs add another period and the default extension to the file name. For example, a Microsoft Word document saved as Sales. will appear as Sales..doc. When you save a file with its default extension, it isn't necessary to type a period following the file name. Office programs automatically add the period when they add the extension.

Make sure you enter the correct username and password and that the CAPS LOCK key is not on. If you still cannot access the network server, consult your network administrator.

The disk you are attempting to save the file to is most likely full or is read-only. Examine the drive using Windows Explorer and see if there is sufficient disk space available to save your file. If you are attempting to save to a network drive or server share, the folder or drive may be set to read-only or you do not have permissions to save files. In this case, contact either the administrator of the server or the owner of the folder or drive. In the case where a local drive on your computer is full, examine your system for any other available drives (such as floppy drives, writeable CD ROM drives, or other media storage areas you can save the file to). If no other places exist to store your file, delete unneeded files from your drive to make space or add another drive to your computer. In the unlikely case that your computer has plenty of available storage space, but you are still unable to save a file, run disk cleanup, disk defragmentor, or “chkdsk /f” (from a DOS Prompt) to verify or correct any media defects.