Ms\Word - backup files and location on LOCAL drive 2

[ernieah]

(1)Word-2003: When I attempt to "set" the locations for ("automatic, full) backup files onto a LOCAL drive (NOT the network drive where the main document is), I see NO way to identify a (local, drive-C directory for "backup files".

Some paths are listed in the "File Locations" tab, including "Autorecover files" (which I am NOT trying to "set", since these kinds of files are NOT the "full recovery files I want), and it's supposedly possible to "modify" these paths, but I can't find a path for any "full recovery files".

NONE of these paths listed there specify "local backup" files, or at least by any name that I can recognize as meaning "backup files".

(2) Further, what FILE TYPE does MS\Word give to those "full backup" files? IF I could determine what FILE TYPE, then I could do a file search on my "local" drive for files of that type, and thus discover WHERE Ms\Word is saving them.

One of my books says *.wbk, and another of my books says
*.bak, as the file type for "local" backups. Assuming I DID discover WHERE Word is saving them on the "local drive", how could I change the location for these saves (if I wanted to change it), since there is NO SUCH PATH mentioned on the "File Locations" tab? Thanx in advance..

End-of-memo: Best to you..from ernieah.
I don't sell books, or work for any
publisher or computer company.

 

[fumei]

since these kinds of files are NOT the "full recovery files I want), and it's supposedly possible to "modify" these paths, but I can't find a path for any "full recovery files".

You can not find a path for "full recovery" files because there are none.

Recovery files are not "full", or "partial". They are recovery files - the best Word can do upon a crash. They are in Document and Settings/username/Application Data/Micorsoft/Word. They have the extension asd.

Backup files are something different. They do indeed have the extension wbk. If you have Tools > Options "Always create backup" checked these backup are in the same folder as the saved file. You can not set a path. They are in the same folder as the file.

Gerry

 

[ernieah]

The book, "Using Microsoft Office Word 2003" "Spcial Edition",
by Que, Author Bill Camarda, Page-93, says (blank line
separation, "quote marks", and "numbering" is added by me):

"Saving Local Backups"

(1) "If you typcially save to a network drive
or a removable disk such as a Zip disk, you can
tell Word to automatically save a duplicate
copy of your file on your local hard disk"

(2) "To do so choose Tools, ,
Options and click the Save tab; then check Make Local
Copy of Files Stored on Network or Removable
Drives check box."

<End-of-Quote>

(3) I located the "Make Local Copy of Files Stored on
Network or Removable Drives check box", and I checked
the box (for "yes").

(4) My question is WHERE (what path) on my "local hard
disk", is the duplicate copy of my file saved, now?

According to the book, above, presumably, the "local copy"
(my term) duplicate file would NOT be saved on the Network
drive where my "main" copy is saved, since the netowork
drive is NOT my "local hard disk"

(5) Or, at least, if a "duplicate copy, <file-name>.wbk",
IS saved on the network drive (as you said), then
perhaps an ADDITIONAL "duplicate copy" is saved on my
"...local hard disk" (above: last sentence of (1)).

(6) Where can I find out, or how can I specify, WHERE
on my "local hard disk" the duplicate is saved?

How (?) does Word-2003 DETERMINE where to save this
duplicate copy of my file on "my local hard disk".

(7) How can I change the "save location" if I don't
like what Word has picked?



End-of-memo: Best to you..from ernieah.
I don't sell books, or work for any
publisher or computer company.

 

[fumei]

What an rather odd post.

OK. Have you checked that the automatic backup is NOT stored in the same folder? Assuming of course that the file in question IS stored on a network folder?

If something is going on that I am unaware of (as I do not have 2003), have you done something as basic as looking for the backup file? The name will "Backup of filename". Do an automatic backup (and BTW, you must actually make a Save...) and then search for the darn thing.

That may be a good place to start.

Gerry

 

[ernieah]

Sorry about the "oddness" of my post. I appreciate your
persisitence and willingness to respond anyway. I suppose a lot of the questions people ask on this forum appear to be somewhat odd to others who already know the answer. I'm embarrassed when I ask "stupid questions", but often, I'm told, by some people, that those are the best kind.

I love applications which ASK the user WHERE she\he wants a SAVE to be located or invite the user to browse for a suitable location, or let the user "set" the location, as I would suppose one would, reasonably do in "Tools\Options\Save". All they need to do is add a directory choice for "backups", or "local drive backups" in "Tools\Options\Save", since that seems to me to be a logical place for the user to CHOOSE. I like WordPerfect's way, but I don't always get my choice (obviously). Thanx again.


End-of-memo: Best to you..from ernieah.
I don't sell books, or work for any
publisher or computer company.

 

[PeterMoran]

Hi,

Checkout this Microsoft url:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/821414/en-us

It explains or infers that the file saved is temporary incase the network connection is lost. It does not seem to be designed to create separate copies on a local hard drive and a network drive.

"When you turn on the Make local copy of files stored on network or removable drives, Word temporarily stores a local copy of a file that you store on a network or removable drive. When you save the local copy, Word saves your changes to the original copy. If the original file is not available, Word prompts you to save the file in another location. "

Hope this helps!

Good Luck!

Peter Moran

 

[ernieah]

Thanx, PeterMoran. I checked the MS-reference you gave me.
Apparently, MS and I do not agree about what a "local backup copy" of a network-saved\edited should be. I think
of a "local copy" as LOCAL, and I would expect it to be on "drive C:", rather than on the network drive. I also think of a "backup file" as a complete, NON-temporary, copy
that I always can USE (edit\retrieve, etc.), from the LOCAL drive, at will, and which is as COMPLETELY and SIMPLY usable as the "main" file was. (I can always do a "save as.." whenever I've used the "backup", to make it become the new "main", by saving it at the "main" location.)

The advantage of being able to SPECIFY the (my own) location for "backup" files, is that I know WHERE to find them. Also, they don't clutter up my "main" working directory. Then when, some (or all) of the backup files are no longer needed, I can easily DELETE a bunch of them, SAFELY. Since I can count on the fact that my "main" files are NOT in this "backup" directory, I don't have to face the danger of accidently erasing any "main" files, while cleaning out no-longer-needed backup files.

Maybe I am overly cautious, or perhaps spoiled by WordPerfect and VIM. Maybe some more-competent users never (or seldom) need to USE "LOCAL" backup files, and thus don't have to concern themselves with their "completeness" or their usabilty. And maybe these same competent users never accidentally erase their "main" files, in a directory which has a mixture of "main" and "backup" files.

Also, it's nice having an additional "local" copy ("backup" or not), since sometimes when the network is DOWN, one can then continue to work on the local ("backup" ?) copy of the same file, while others (who don't have a "local" copy), are stuck. Thanx again, folks.


End-of-memo: Best to you..from ernieah.
I don't sell books, or work for any
publisher or computer company.

 

[PeterMoran]

Hi,

What about this link?

http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/MacrosVBA/CloneCurDoc.htm

How to create a copy of an open document where you wish.

By the way this is an excellent Word site.

Good Luck!

Peter Moran

 

[fumei]

That would be the way to go if you expressly wish to create "backup" files in a folder of your choice.

Mind you, this would not be automatic..well you COULD make it automatic, sort of.

Gerry

 

[ernieah]

(1) Thanx very much to: "fumei" and to "PeterMoran" for your
insightful and useful suggestions. I'm flattered to get responses from computer (and Tek-tips) "celebrities" such as
you two guys. Also, thanx to "ibby" at the ...word.mvps... site (the URL suggested by "PeterMoram".)

(2) As soon as I can (I'm NOT at my work site, now), I will try out these suggestions, since I do NOT have a "network" drive on my home PC (where I, now, on my "days off"), and as soon as I "figure out" (with some further help?) HOW to use the "code" at the ...mvps.word... site

(3) Your above suggestions (specially the web-site for the
...word.mvps.. site) seem to be very valuable. The code listed there: is it a VBA "sub", or is "word basic". Do I need to put the expression "sub" as the first line of such a routine?

Or, can I merely "record" it as a "keyboard macro"?
(Obviously) I am NOT experienced at these things yet, and
I could NOT determine how to use this "code" merely by looking at the code at the ...word.mvps... site.

(4) I still don't understand why MS\Word does'nt make this kind of procedure simpler. Or contrariwise, why "books" on MS\Word, don't clarify the un-workability of this kind of thing - when these books seem (to me) to imply that it's simple and straight foward (like WordPerfect and VIM are, for a similar kind of operations.)

IF the procedure (I originally asked about) is this DIFFICULT, why don't the "books" say so - rather than IMPLY that it's a SIMPLE thing, but NOT tell the reader HOW?

IF they're gonna tell me I CAN do it, and IF I bought their book\s to find out such things, then they should tell me HOW!

It's my intention to e-mail the writers of the two or three books I have, and pose that question to them.

(5) Any other suggestions out there? Or maybe these, above, will be be sufficient (when I get back to my work site to try them out, AND when I get some idea about HOW to USE the code listed at the ...mvps.word... site.)

Thanx again to all the above. More advice or comments is welcomed from anybody..




End-of-memo: Best to you..from ernieah.
I don't sell books, or work for any
publisher or computer company.

 

[fumei]

There is a bit of a learning curve to this, but it is not really all that difficult.

You DO however, have to get some understanding of basics.

Depending on your version, it will be a Sub, or a Function. Usually a Sub. Function can be very similar to a Sub, but normally a Function returns a single thing.

ALL macros (Subs) can be set for a keyboard shortcut. Keyboard shortcuts are not just for recorded macros.

Yes, "Sub" must be the first word of a procedure, or routine. Although "Private" can preceed Sub - depending on scope. Scope is simply where variables are legitimate. Variables declared inside a Sub can only be used inside that Sub. Variables declared generally can be...generally used. Scope is very important once you get into more sophisticated code. See Help. I DO hope you have VBA Help installed! It is not installed automatically. It must be explicitly installed. There are LOTS of examples of code in Help, and you will use it a lot.

Subs can be seen in code modules. Code modules are visible in the VBE (Visual Basic Editor). Get to know the VBE well. Learn all the available tools in it to help you, especially the debugging tools.

Not sure what books you got. There should be something in them that starts off simple. Simple is good.

There are lots and lots of people here who can assist when you start to really get going.

Say you have some code that looks useful, that you get from someplace (MVPS.ORG, or Tek-Tips, or VBAExpress or....). To get a useable procedure, open a code module in the VBE. Since you are talking Word (mostly I think), there is a code module for every document named ThisDocument. You can put code there. You can also make code modules - and often this is a better design. You can put code there. All you code should look something like:

Sub [i]name_of_procedure[/i] ()
   ..instruction...
   ..instruction...
   ..instruction...
End Sub

Code (macros) can be run (fired) by a number of means. Keyboard shortcuts, putting them as menu items, putting them as toolbar buttons. Some macros run automatically from events that happen. Such as saving a document, opening a document, making a new document etc. These are also important to learn.

Good luck!

Gerry

 

[mpbabroad]

Is it possible to modify the save command, or modify the macro code (

http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/MacrosVBA/CloneCurDoc.htm)

cited above so that clicking "save" would save as normal (or prompt for a filename/location if this was the first save) and also run the macro, which would create the backup copy in whatever location I desired? Then, it would be possible to turn off "always create backup copies" without losing that functionality, as the save+macro would do that for us. Part two would make the macro automatically overwrite the old file when it created the backup save.

Can anyone show me how to integrate this into the save command (as I couldn't do it myself) or otherwise help me figure out how to do this?
Thanks,

-Martin