How to Change Default File Open and Save Locations in Windows

A step-by-step guide to changing the default “open” and “save” folder in Windows, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Word, Excel & Adobe Reader – by Geeks On Command computer repair company.

Jump Directly To:

• Instructions for Google Chrome
• Instructions for Mozilla Firefox
• Instructions for Microsoft Edge
• Instructions for Microsoft Word
• Instructions for Microsoft Excel
• Instructions for Adobe Reader

Change Default Download Location in Google Chrome

Follow these steps to change the default download location in Google Chrome:

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Click the three dots in the top-right corner to open the menu.
3. Select “Settings” from the menu.
4. Scroll down and click on “Advanced” to expand the advanced settings.
5. Under the “Downloads” section, click on “Change” next to “Location”.
6. Select your desired folder and click “Open”.
7. Close the Settings tab to save your changes.

Change Default Download Location in Mozilla Firefox

Follow these steps to change the default download location in Mozilla Firefox:

1. Open Mozilla Firefox.
2. Click the menu button (three horizontal lines) in the top-right corner.
3. Select “Options” from the menu.
4. In the General panel, scroll down to the “Files and Applications” section.
5. Click on “Browse” next to “Save files to”.
6. Select your desired folder and click “Select Folder”.
7. Close the Options tab to save your changes.

Change Default Download Location in Microsoft Edge

Follow these steps to change the default download location in Microsoft Edge:

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Click the three dots in the top-right corner to open the menu.
3. Select “Settings” from the menu.
4. Scroll down and click on “View advanced settings”.
5. Under the “Downloads” section, click on “Change” next to “Downloads”.
6. Select your desired folder and click “Select Folder”.
7. Close the Settings tab to save your changes.

Change Default Download Location in Microsoft Word

Follow these steps to change the default download location in Microsoft Word:

1. Open Microsoft Word.
2. Click on “File” in the top-left corner.
3. Click on “Options” at the bottom of the left-hand menu.
4. In the Word Options window, click on “Save” in the left-hand menu.
5. Under the “Save documents” section, enter the desired folder path in the “Default local file location” field.
6. Click “OK” to save your changes.

Change Default Download Location in Microsoft Excel

Follow these steps to change the default download location in Microsoft Excel:

1. Open Microsoft Excel.
2. Click on “File” in the top-left corner.
3. Click on “Options” at the bottom of the left-hand menu.
4. In the Excel Options window, click on “Save” in the left-hand menu.
5. Under the “Save workbooks” section, enter the desired folder path in the “Default local file location” field.
6. Click “OK” to save your changes.

Change Default Download Location in Adobe Reader

Follow these steps to change the default download location in Adobe Reader:

1. Open Adobe Reader.
2. Click on “Edit” in the top-left corner.
3. Select “Preferences” from the dropdown menu.
4. In the Preferences window, click on “General” in the left-hand menu.
5. Under the “Save Settings” section, click on “Browse” next to “Default file location”.
6. Select your desired folder and click “OK”.
7. Click “OK” to save your changes.