Why Autosave Can Turn Off During Microsoft Co-Editing

Egnyte provides the ability to its users to co-edit Microsoft Office files directly within the Egnyte platform. The integrations support real-time collaboration with features like Autosave, which helps preserve changes without requiring manual saves.

However, there are scenarios where Microsoft’s Autosave feature may turn off automatically during a co-editing session. This can affect users working within Egnyte, particularly when relying on Autosave to retain updates in real time.

Below are the most common reasons why Autosave may be disabled:

Embedded Fonts

Autosave can be turned off when a document includes embedded fonts. Removing the embedded fonts from the file allows Autosave to be re-enabled. The user will have to manually enable auto-save for it to function. 

Server Throttling

In situations where Microsoft servers are under heavy load, Autosave may be temporarily turned off due to throttling. During such times, users are prompted to save files manually using File -> Save until Autosave becomes available again.

Protected View

When a file is opened in Protected View—often for security reasons—Autosave will be disabled. Exiting Protected View reactivates Autosave for the session. The user will have to manually enable auto-save then for it to function. 

Unsupported Add-ins

Some third-party add-ins may cause excessive background saves, which interferes with Autosave. Disabling or removing these unsupported add-ins resolves the issue.

Privacy Settings

Certain privacy settings within Microsoft Office can block Autosave from working properly. Modifying those settings may be necessary to allow Autosave to function as intended. Users can save files manually using File -> Save option in such a scenario. 

Unsupported File Location

This can occur due to an issue with how the file was launched. Reopening the file correctly may help restore Autosave.

Save Error

In some cases, a general save error can disable Autosave. This may result from temporary issues such as network interruptions or internal glitches. Manual saving is recommended until the problem is resolved.

Group Policy Settings (GPO)

Autosave may be turned off by the organization’s administrator through Group Policy. In such cases, users might be restricted from re-enabling Autosave unless the administrator updates the policy settings.

File Encryption 

If a file is encrypted, Autosave will be turned off. Removing the encryption from the file is required to enable Autosave. The user will have to manually enable auto-save for it to function.

Error Messages

The user will observe error messages displayed if any of the above issues occur. 

The following are the error messages that will be displayed:

Issue Type	Error Message
Embedded Fonts	This file includes embedded fonts. Please remove them.
Windowless Mode	You’re currently using windowless mode. Please exit this mode.
Server Throttle	AutoSave isn’t available right now. Please save the file using File > Save.
Protected View	This file is open in Protected View. Please exit Protected View.
Unsupported Add-ins	This app is using unsupported add-ins that are interfering with AutoSave. Please turn off the unsupported add-ins.
Privacy Settings	We couldn’t save your file automatically due to your privacy settings. To avoid losing your changes, please save the file using File > Save.
Unsupported File Location	We couldn’t save your file to this location automatically. To avoid losing your changes, please save the file using File > Save.
Save Error	We couldn’t save your file automatically. To avoid losing your changes, please save the file using File > Save.
Group Policy (GPO)	Your administrator has turned off AutoSave. To avoid losing your changes, please save the file using File > Save.
File Encryption	This file is encrypted. Please remove the encryption.