PrePALS Writing

Your efforts and progress are important and valuable.  Be certain to save your work! 

MICROSOFT WORD

Follow these easy steps to keep your files safe and easy to find.

1) Save often and right from the start!

• Press Ctrl + S (Windows) or Cmd + S (Mac) every so often as you are working.  
• TIP: Turn on AutoSave and AutoRecover
  • If using OneDrive, on the top left, switch AutoSave to ON.
  • Go to File > Options > Save → turn on AutoRecover every 5 minutes.

2) Save to the Cloud so that your work is backed up automatically, AND you can access it anywhere!

• Click File > Save As > OneDrive – [Your Name]
• Choose a folder in OneDrive (e.g.,  School--Year 10--English)
• Click Save

3) It is also wise to save a copy on your own computer or a USB stick.

4) Before closing Word, double-check the file location:  File > Info > Open File Location

TIPS:

• Use folders!
  • Example: Documents --> School --> Year 10 --> English Essays
• Name files clearly
  • Include last name, subject, assignment name, and date (or version):
• You can save drafts as versions.
  •   Example: PetersonEC1researchessayv1, PetersonEC1researchessayv2, PetersonEC1researchessayv3, to track your changes and drafts.

Recover Unsaved Work:

If your computer crashes:

1. Open Word

2. Go to File > Info > Manage Document > Recover Unsaved Documents

3. Save it properly right away!

Your efforts and progress are important and valuable.  Be certain to save your work! 

GOOGLE DOCS

Follow these easy steps to keep your files safe and easy to find.

1) Save often and right from the start!

• Google Docs saves automatically as you type — no need to press Ctrl + S or Cmd + S.
• TIP: Check to see if "All changes saved in Drive" is at the top left.  This means your work is being saved live.

2) Save to the Cloud so that your work is backed up automatically, AND you can access it anywhere!

• By default, Google Docs saves in Google Drive, which is cloud storage.
• To organize:
  • Click File, Move
  • Choose a folder in Google Drive (e.g.,  School--Year 10--English)
  • Click Move

• You can also download a copy to save in OneDrive or on your computer:

  • Click File, Download , Microsoft Word (.docx)

  • Then save it to OneDrive: File Explorer, OneDrive, choose folder, Save

3) It is also wise to save a copy on your own computer or a USB stick.

• Go to File, Download and choose Microsoft Word (.docx) or PDF Document

• Store a copy on your computer or a USB drive as a backup.

4) Before closing Google Docs, double-check by clicking File, Document details to see the Drive location and make sure your work is in the right folder.

TIPS:

• Use folders!
  • Example: Documents --> School --> Year 10 --> English Essays
• Name files clearly
  • Include last name, subject, assignment name, and date (or version):
• You can save drafts as versions.
  •   Example: PetersonEC1researchessayv1, PetersonEC1researchessayv2, PetersonEC1researchessayv3, to track your changes and drafts.

Recover Unsaved Work:

If your computer crashes:

• Google Docs usually keeps your changes saved in Drive automatically.

• You can also check File, Version history, See version history to restore earlier drafts.