Office Settings & Configuration

How to Stop the Excel and Word Back up this document Prompt

Olivia Miller Sep 25, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to disable the recurring 'Back up this document' notification in Microsoft Word and Excel when saving files to local offline storage.

How to Stop the Excel and Word Back up this document Prompt

Product: Microsoft Word and Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Saving large documents to local offline storage instead of using cloud services.
Observed behavior: Microsoft Word and Excel repeatedly display a prompt urging the user to back up the document to the cloud, specifically when saving to default Windows library folders.

Before you start

Verify which specific local directories (such as Desktop, Documents, or Pictures) are triggering the cloud backup prompt when you save your Office files.

Solution 1Recommended

Save Documents in Custom Local Folders

Prevent the OneDrive backup prompt by saving your files in a custom local directory rather than the default Windows library folders.

Microsoft Office typically triggers the 'Back up this document' prompt when you save files in the default Desktop, Documents, or Pictures folders while OneDrive PC Folder Backup is turned off. Moving your workflow to a completely separate local drive or a newly created root folder avoids this trigger completely.

Open File Explorer

Launch File Explorer on your computer and navigate to a primary local drive, such as your C:\ or D:\ drive.

Create a New Root Folder

Right-click in the drive, select 'New' > 'Folder', and name it something specific for your offline documents, like 'Offline Work Files'.

Save from Word or Excel

In Microsoft Word or Excel, click on 'File' > 'Save As'. Browse to the newly created custom folder and save your document there instead of the default Documents folder.

Solution 2

Submit Feedback to Microsoft

Since Microsoft Office currently lacks a direct toggle to disable this prompt, submitting feedback requests a future update to address the issue.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Edit Documents Without Annoying Cloud Backup Prompts

If persistent Microsoft Office cloud prompts are disrupting your offline workflow, switch to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, distraction-free environment for pure local file management while maintaining excellent compatibility with standard Office files.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS Office website and download the free installation package for your operating system.
2. Open Your Office Files: Launch WPS Office and directly open your existing .docx or .xlsx files without worrying about format conversion.
3. Save Locally in Peace: Edit and save your large files to any local folder you choose; WPS Office will not interrupt you with forced cloud storage prompts.

Save documents strictly to local storage without forced cloud backup promptsFully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx) and Excel (.xlsx) formatsLightweight software that runs smoothly offline on any PCFamiliar user interface for a completely seamless migration

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Microsoft Word keep asking me to back up my document?

This prompt appears because Microsoft strongly encourages users to utilize OneDrive for cloud storage. The notification is triggered automatically when you save files in default Windows folders like Documents, Desktop, or Pictures while your OneDrive folder backup is inactive.

Is there a setting in Excel to permanently turn off the backup prompt?

Currently, Microsoft Excel and Word do not offer a specific toggle or checkbox in their Options menu to permanently disable this 'Back up this document' notification. Saving outside the default library folders is the primary workaround.

Will uninstalling OneDrive stop the backup prompt in Office?

Uninstalling or unlinking OneDrive might stop system-level sync prompts, but Microsoft Office applications may still independently detect that files are being saved to default library folders and suggest cloud backup. Saving your files in a custom directory (e.g., C:\OfflineFiles) is a more effective solution.

Office App Problems