Close a Word Document and/or Exit Word

When you have completed work on a document, you can close it to free up memory and unclutter your screen. You can close the document without exiting Word or you can close the document and exit Word.

When you attempt to close a document without exiting, if you have made changes since you last saved, Word asks if you want to save those changes. Click Save to save the changes and close, click Don’t Save to close the document without saving, or click Cancel if you have decided not to close the document. If you have not previously saved, when you click Save, the Save As dialog box opens. Use this dialog box to select a folder, name the document, and specify a document type.

When you attempt to close a document and exit Word, if you have made changes since you last saved, Word asks if you want to save those changes. Click Save to save the changes and exit Word, click Don’t Save to exit Word without saving, or click Cancel if you have decided not to close the document. If you click Save, the Save As dialog box opens. Use this box to select a folder, name the document, and specify a document type.

Close a Document without Exiting Word

1. Choose the File tab. Word moves to Backstage view. A menu appears along the left side of the window.
2. Click Close.

• If you have not made any changes to your document since you last saved, Word closes the document.
• If you have made changes to your document since you last saved or if you have never saved your document, a prompt appears. Go to step 3.

3. Click Save to save the document and close, click Don't Save to close the document without saving, or click Cancel to stop the close operation.

• If you click Save and you have not previously saved your file, the Save As dialog box opens. Go to step 4.
• If you click Save and you have previously saved your file, Word saves your file in the same location you previously saved it, using the file name and file type you previously used.
• If you click Don't Save, Word closes the document without saving.
• If you click Cancel, Word returns to the document and you can continue editing.

4. Find or create the folder where you want to save the file.
5. Type a document name in the File Name field.
6. Click the down-arrow next to the Save as Type field and then click the document type you want.
7. Click Save. Word saves your document and closes the file.

Close a Document and Exit Word

1. Click the Close button .

• If you have not made any changes to your document since you last saved, Word closes.
• If you have made changes to your document since you last saved or if you have never saved your document, a prompt appears. Go to step 2.

2. Click Save to save your document and exit Word, click Don't Save to exit Word without saving, or click Cancel to stop the close operation.

• If you click Save and you have not previously saved your file, the Save As dialog box opens. Go to step 3.
• If you click Save and you have previously saved your file, Word saves your file in the same location you previously saved it, using the file name and file type you previously used.
• If you click Don't Save, Word exits without saving.
• If you click Cancel, Word returns to the document and you can continue editing.

3. Move to or create the folder where you want to save the file.
4. Type a document name in the File Name field.
5. Click the down-arrow next to the Save as Type field and then click the document type you want.
6. Click Save. Word saves your document and closes the file.