- Manually Any time you want to save a "snapshot" of a document in its current state, you can save a version of the document. For example, you might save the version you've sent to review, and after you've incorporated review changes, save another version.
- Automatically You can have Word automatically save a version of your document each time the document is closed. This is useful when you need a record of who made changes and when
— for example, in the case of a legal document.
Save a version as a separate file
After you've saved multiple versions of a document in one file, there are two instances in which you will want to save a specific version as a separate file:
- If the document you're sending to review contains several versions, and you want to make sure that you're sending only the most recent version or the specific version you want. This will prevent viewers from opening earlier versions of the document.
- If you want to compare an earlier version of the document with the current version of the document. You can use the Compare and Merge Documents command on the Tools menu to compare separate files.
Note Saving multiple versions is different from saving a backup copy of a document, which is designed to ensure against data loss or against unintended changes. When backup saving is turned on, a new backup replaces the existing backup each time you save the document.