Difference between Save and Save As

Difference between Save and Save As

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Jaya
Jaya Sharma
Assistant Manager - Content
Updated on Aug 28, 2023 14:04 IST

While working with computers, opening files, editing and saving files are some of the most fundamental things you learn. Save and Save as are two basic actions that are performed in any file. While save command helps in saving the file for the first time in single format, save as allows saving the file in a different format and at different location.

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In this article, we will be discussing the difference between save and save as actions in detail. Let us get started. 

Table of Contents

Difference between Save and Save As Method 

The following table shows the difference between Save and Save as method:

Aspect Save Save As
Function Updates the existing file Creates a copy and allows saving with a new name/location
Overwriting Overwrites the current file with changes Does not overwrite the original file but allows modifying it
Keyboard Shortcut Ctrl + S (Windows), Command + S (Mac) Ctrl + Shift + S (Windows), Command + Shift + S (Mac)
Purpose Used to update and retain changes to the current file Used to create a duplicate or save a modified version of the file
Dialog Box Generally does not open a dialog box Often opens a dialog box to specify new name/location
Use Case Suitable for routine updates and modifications Useful when creating different versions or backups of a file
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What does Save command mean?

Whenever you create or edit any file, you use a save command so that the document is permanently stored within your system. Save is a command through which the document gets saved. Once you have written, created or edited something, you need to save it otherwise it will not remain in your system. It is the first thing you do save when you create something new. There are different ways of saving a document.

Follow the below given steps.

  1. In the case of most applications, one can use the file menu of most applications to create a copy of the current document and image.
  2. Now, as you can see, once you click on the File option, you will get an option to ‘save’ the file. 
  3. Once you click on save, you will still be shown the option of ‘Save as’ since it is the first time. As soon as you click on this option, it will ask you to choose the destination where you want to save your file. 
  4. As you can see, I have chosen my PC. Here, I can choose the location where I want to save the file.
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  1. Once the location has been chosen, it will show you the option to save the file. You also have the option to rename the file.  
  2. Now, once you have chosen the location and saved it. You can now use the shortcut to save the file. To save a file, you need to save it by pressing Control and S key on the keyboard. For Windows, you will press the ‘Ctrl + S’ and for MacOS, you will press ‘Command (⌘) + S’. You can also press Shift F12 or Alt Shift F2 to save the file.

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What does ‘Save As’ method mean?

Primarily, ‘Save As’ option allows you to modify the saved file. Here is what you can do with the this option.

  • Modify the location of the saved file.
  • Change its name.
  • Modify the extension type to change the file format. 
  • Create a copy of the file. This will help you in keeping the backup of the file.

Go to the File menu. After that, you can choose the option of location. Here are some of the actions that you can perform using this option. 

1.  You can modify the format of the document that you want to save.

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2. You can create a copy of the file that you have already saved.

making a copy
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About the Author
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Jaya Sharma
Assistant Manager - Content

Jaya is a writer with an experience of over 5 years in content creation and marketing. Her writing style is versatile since she likes to write as per the requirement of the domain. She has worked on Technology, Fina... Read Full Bio