How do i manage documents on a new Mac.

Save your working Word, Excel, and other personal files in either the Mac’s Documents folder or OneDrive, and leave the Time Machine external drive dedicated to backups.

Recommended setup

Choose one primary location:

• OneDrive — best if you want files synchronized online and available from other devices.
• Documents on your Mac — best if you prefer local storage and rely on Time Machine for backup.

A simple folder structure might be:

• Documents
  • Personal
  • Financial
  • Word Documents
  • Excel Spreadsheets
  • Old PC Files

Avoid routinely saving files directly to the Time Machine drive. It is your backup destination, not the normal location for opening and editing documents. Also, do not use the flash drive as permanent storage; keep it temporarily until you have copied and checked everything.

Move the files from your old PC

1. Connect the flash drive to the Mac.
2. Open Finder and select the flash drive under Locations.
3. Open another Finder window and select either:
   • Documents, or
   • OneDrive under Finder’s Locations section.
4. Create a folder such as Old PC Files.
5. Copy the files from the flash drive into that folder.
6. Open several Word and Excel files to confirm that they copied successfully.
7. Allow Time Machine to complete a backup before erasing or repurposing the flash drive.

Standard .docx and .xlsx files can continue to be opened by current Office applications.

Save new Word and Excel files locally

In Word or Excel:

1. Select File > Save As, or press Command+Shift+S.
2. If Office displays an online location, select On My Mac.
3. Select Documents and then the appropriate folder.
4. Enter the file name and select Save.

Office for Mac supports saving to the Mac, removable storage, or an online service. Microsoft also recommends saving regularly because AutoRecover does not replace normal saves.^1^

To find a local file later, open Word or Excel and select File > Open > On My Mac. You can also use Recent, then Control-click a file and select Show in Finder.^2^

Save new files in OneDrive instead

If Microsoft 365 includes OneDrive and you want cloud synchronization:

1. Sign in to OneDrive on the Mac with your Microsoft account.
2. In Word or Excel, select File > Save As.
3. Select Online Locations.
4. Select OneDrive – Personal.
5. Create or select a folder, enter the file name, and select Save.^1^

If OneDrive is absent, select Add a Place > OneDrive, then sign in.^3^

For Microsoft 365 subscribers, AutoSave is available when a file is stored in OneDrive or SharePoint and opened through Office’s File menu.^4^

OneDrive Files On-Demand may show some files in Finder without downloading their full contents until opened. To keep an important folder available without internet access, Control-click it in Finder and choose Always Keep on This Device.^5^

A practical choice

For the simplest arrangement:

• Put all active files in Documents.
• Let Time Machine back up the Mac automatically.
• Keep the flash drive unchanged until the transfer and at least one backup are confirmed.

For access from multiple devices:

• Put active files in OneDrive.
• Continue using Time Machine as an additional backup of the Mac.
• Mark essential OneDrive folders as always available offline if needed.

References

1. Save a file in Office for Mac | Microsoft Support
2. [Windows](https://support.microsoft.com/office/collab-files/open-files-from-the-file-menu)
3. Upload and save files and folders to OneDrive | Microsoft Support
4. [macOS](https://support.microsoft.com/accessibility/word/use-a-screen-reader-to-save-a-document-in-word#switch-autosave-off)
5. [Current](https://support.microsoft.com/onedrive/save-disk-space-with-onedrive-files-on-demand-for-mac)