Office Settings & Configuration

How to Stop Word Save As from Opening a Microsoft Sign-In Window

Khadija Khan Oct 9, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to prevent Microsoft Word from prompting a Microsoft account sign-in window when using the Save As function.

How to Stop Word Save As from Opening a Microsoft Sign-In Window

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: Windows
Scenario: Saving a new document or attempting to save an existing document to a new location.
Observed behavior: A Microsoft sign-in prompt appears automatically because cloud storage is selected as the default save location.

Before you start

Ensure you have a designated local folder on your computer's hard drive where you want your documents to be saved by default.

Solution 1Recommended

Set Word to Save to Your Computer by Default

Change your Word settings to always prefer local storage, which permanently stops the Microsoft cloud sign-in prompt from appearing.

By default, newer versions of Microsoft Word push users to save documents to OneDrive. Changing your default save location to your local hard drive will bypass the cloud sign-in requirement.

Open Word Options

Open Microsoft Word, click on 'File' in the top-left corner, and select 'Options' at the bottom of the left-hand menu.

Access Save Settings

In the Word Options dialog box, click on the 'Save' tab located in the left pane.

Enable Local Saving

Check the box next to 'Save to Computer by default' under the 'Save documents' section.

Set Default Location

Next to 'Default local file location', click the 'Browse' button to choose your preferred folder on your PC. Click 'OK' to apply the changes.

Set Word to Save to Your Computer by Default

Permanent Fix: Once this setting is applied, using Save As will directly open your local Windows File Explorer instead of the Microsoft account screen.

Solution 2

Use a Keyboard Shortcut to Open the Classic Save As Dialog

Quickly bypass the cloud save screen and sign-in prompt for a single document by using a direct keyboard shortcut.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Word keep asking me to sign in when I save?

Newer versions of Microsoft Word are tightly integrated with OneDrive. If your default save location is set to the cloud, Word requires you to sign in to your Microsoft account to authenticate and complete the Save As action.

Can I disable OneDrive in Microsoft Word entirely?

While you cannot completely remove the OneDrive feature from Microsoft 365, you can effectively bypass it by going to File > Options > Save, checking 'Save to Computer by default', and unchecking 'Show additional places for saving, even if sign-in may be required'.

Will changing my default save location affect Autosave?

Yes. Microsoft's real-time AutoSave feature only works when saving documents to OneDrive or SharePoint. If you choose to save locally by default, you will rely on the standard AutoRecover feature instead, which saves backup copies at set intervals.

Is there another way to browse for a local folder without the shortcut?

Yes. You can click File, select Save As, and then click 'Browse' (usually indicated by a folder icon). This will manually open the classic local save dialog box without needing to use the F12 shortcut.

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