To save an Excel file to your desktop, press F12 (or select File > Save As > Browse), choose Desktop in the left pane of the window that opens, type a file name and select Save. The workbook appears as an icon on your desktop. If OneDrive backs up your desktop, the file is also copied to OneDrive, but it still shows on your desktop as usual.
Applies to: Excel for Microsoft 365, Excel 2024, 2021, 2019 and 2016 on Windows and Mac, and Excel for the web. Last reviewed October 7, 2026.
Save a new workbook to the desktop (Windows)
- Press F12. On some laptops, press Fn + F12. Or select File > Save As > Browse.
- In the Save As window, select Desktop in the left pane. If you don’t see it, select This PC > Desktop.
- Type a name in File name.
- Leave Save as type on Excel Workbook (*.xlsx) unless you need another format.
- Select Save.
Next time you press Ctrl + S, Excel saves to the same file on your desktop.
Save a copy of an existing file to the desktop
If the workbook is already saved somewhere else, such as OneDrive or a shared folder:
- Select File > Save a Copy (called Save As in some versions) > Browse.
- Choose Desktop, name the copy and select Save.
The copy on your desktop is a separate file. Changes to it don’t affect the original, and other people’s changes to the original won’t appear in it.
On a Mac
- Select File > Save As, or press Command + Shift + S.
- If you see a short window, select On My Mac or the arrow next to the name to expand it.
- Choose Desktop under Where, name the file and select Save.
From Excel for the web
- Select File > Save As > Download a Copy.
- The file goes to your Downloads folder. Open File Explorer and drag it onto the desktop.
To make your browser ask where to save each download, turn on Ask me what to do with each download (Edge) or Ask where to save each file before downloading (Chrome) in the browser’s download settings. See also how to download a Word document, which works the same way.
Why Excel keeps saving to OneDrive
Microsoft 365 suggests OneDrive by default, so Save As may open on OneDrive. You can change this:
- Select File > Options > Save.
- Tick Save to Computer by default.
- Set Default local file location to your desktop or another folder, and select OK.
If OneDrive’s folder backup is on, your Desktop folder itself lives inside OneDrive, at C:\Users\YourName\OneDrive\Desktop. Files there appear on your desktop and sync to the cloud. To stop that, see how to stop Windows 11 saving to OneDrive by default, or read how to use OneDrive on Windows 11 to understand the backup.
Troubleshooting
The file isn’t on the desktop after saving
You may have saved to a different Desktop folder, such as the one in OneDrive or another user account. Open Excel, select File > Open > Recent, and hover over the file to see where it is.
“You don’t have permission to save in this location”
This happens on some work PCs. Save to Documents instead, or ask your IT department.
F12 opens something else
The F-keys are set to media functions. Press Fn + F12, or use File > Save As.
Related: How to View Version History in Excel.
Related: How to Change Read-Only Mode in Excel.
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.