"Save as" default location in Microsoft Office X

[UniAce]

Whenever I open an existing document in MS Word or Excel (version X), make a few changes, then do a "save as" to rename the altered document, the application ALWAYS defaults to the last folder it saved anything into, rather than the folder the existing document is already in. The latter is what I want, and what should be the default, and what (I think I recall) WAS the default in Office in OS 9. I can't figure out how to set it so that when I "save as" the save dialog will default to the location of the current file. This is causing a lot of trouble with files ending up in unintended places at our computer here at work.

I found another person reporting the same problem in another forum. here He ended up using the application Default Folder to fix the problem. I'd rather do it for free if it's possible. Perhaps newer versions of Office don't have this problem? (might be able to get a free upgrade through the department) Also note that, unlike someone suggests in that other thread, this is NOT the "general behavior of all Mac apps." I tested Dreamweaver and Photoshop on the same machine and they both do the natural thing, that is default to the location of the existing file when doing a a "save as."

Oh yeah, the computer in question is a 1ghz G4 iMac running OS X 10.3.6. Thank you.

[mdc1952]

I'm the one you quote as saying it is the general behavior of Mac apps. Obviously this was incorrect. It was true of the small sample I tried, though Photoshop and Dreamweaver weren't among them.

My best answers are still get Default Folder or made a VBA macro that sets the default saving location to the folder of the active document. It is one line of code and can be assigned to a button on the tool bar.

[UniAce]

Hey, wow. I'm curious to know which other Mac apps do the same (stupid) thing as MS Office.
I'm going to scope out the VBA option (the code you suggested in the other thread) when I get a chance. Also I'll report back if I manage to get a free Office upgrade and that makes a difference. Thanks

[Raven]

If what you want to do is simply change the default folder where Word saves files, there is no app necessary... though having developper tools makes it much easier... so here goes:

1. Make sure that not Office app is running then go to ~/Library/Preferences/ and find com.microsoft.word.plist or com.microsoft.excel.plist
Make a backup copy of the files before modifying them !
2. Open the file in Text edit
3. There will be a <key> line with HomeDirectoryPath... Look at the string bellow it... will say file://something Change the path to the one you want, eg file://~/Desktop (to save to your desktop)
4. Do the same as in step 3 for the key just bellow it (contains PutFile:0:Path) and change the string bellow it to the path you wish
5. Save the plist file
6. Start Word (or Excel) and then try to save a doc..> Voila... you've changed your default folders !

Hope its what your looking for ! (PS I've done thisn for Office apps, but not sure how it would work for other programs... but my guess is that if you can see the keys and strings for the HonmeDirectory and Path, you can mod them without any problem...)

[UniAce]

Raven
Hm, thanks for the idea. But wouldn't this just set it so that you get the same location everytime you save something? (You can also do this through Word(say)->preferences->file locations) Is there something I could type for the filepath that would default to the current location of the file?

[Raven]

It does.... but at least it gives you some real control over where you save your files by default... Don't know about making this so that the folder automaticlaly defaults to the one where you last opened the file though...