Word AutoRecover Interval and Backup Settings Explained

The minutes-based setting in Word controls how often AutoRecover information is saved. AutoSave for cloud documents, AutoRecover after an unexpected shutdown, and .wbk backup copies created when saving are separate features.

This guide covers the desktop version of Word for Windows. Menu names and positions can differ between versions.

Understand AutoSave, AutoRecover, and backups

See Microsoft's AutoSave explanation for its conditions. If you want to experiment with a cloud document without changing the original, use Save a Copy before editing because AutoSave may preserve your changes immediately.

Change the AutoRecover interval

1. Open File → Options → Save.
2. Select Save AutoRecover information every and set the number of minutes.
3. Check the AutoRecover file location on the same page so you know where the recovery information is stored.
4. Choose OK.

For example, setting 5 minutes configures Word to save recovery information at that interval. A shorter interval does not replace saving the actual document with Ctrl+S. The controls are explained in Microsoft's AutoRecover settings guide.

Enable automatic backup copies

1. Open File → Options → Advanced and find the Save section.
2. Select Always create backup copy and confirm.
3. Save the document, then check its original folder for a .wbk backup.

Do not assume the backup is always an identical extra copy of the current document; open it and inspect its contents when recovering work. If no backup appears after the first save, use a disposable document copy, change its contents, and save again before checking. Open a backup under a separate name rather than overwriting the original immediately.

To stop creating these copies, turn off the backup-copy option. A backup stored alongside the original can be lost with it, so keep important documents in a separate backup location as well.

Find a document you need to recover

1. After an unexpected shutdown, reopen Word. If Document Recovery appears, compare the time and contents of available files, open the needed one, and save it separately.
2. To look for an unsaved document, check File → Info → Manage Document → Recover Unsaved Documents. Exact wording can differ between versions.
3. For a OneDrive or SharePoint document, inspect Version History for an earlier saved version.
4. For a .wbk file, change the file-type filter to all files in Word’s Open dialog, open it, compare it with the original, and use Save As with a separate name.

Recovery information may not remain, depending on your settings and how Word closed. Follow the path for your situation in Microsoft's document recovery guide.

Check your saving routine

After important edits, press Ctrl+S and confirm the file name and destination. Changing an AutoRecover interval does not guarantee that all changes will survive. Check that a recovered file opens correctly, and avoid overwriting or deleting all original and backup copies together.