pages says couldn't auto-save document

Not much information to go on. Pages version? MacOs version? What can you tell us you are doing when you get the message?

I'm suddenly having the same problem with a Pages 5.1 Document. It gives me a message... "Couldn't autosave document" After I give a save command. In the directory that the file is/was in there are a series of folders with names like this. At least with formats like that.

FileName.pages.sb-3821d743-30EF8H

iCloud playing up probably.

A few people have reported this.

Try the iCloud community:

https://discussions.apple.com/community/icloud/icloud_on_my_mac

Peter

Hi - I've had the same problem a few times now. It is infuriating! All attempts to save it elsewhere, or even cut and paste it to a new pages document would not work. I was not alternating between different versions of Pages as was suggested previously as a possible cause. However the only way I've found to get around was to:

1. Open another Mac app like Numbers and "Merge All" cells to make a large worksheet. (Perhaps try Keynote to do the same?)
2. Copy the section of the spreadsheet that will not save and paste it to the new App, ie I used Numbers. (I found that copy & pasting to another new Pages doc would not work for some reason....)
3. Quit the Pages document - remember your doc has been saved elsewhere so it is not lost!
4. Re-open Pages and the doc you were working on.
5. Copy & Paste from the App used (Numbers) to the just opened Pages doc and quickly save it!!!

I found unfortunately that Pages would still crash after a short time but at least I managed to get my changes saved to iCloud for use on my iPad, etc later.

Admitedly this is not a fix but more of a way around the flaw. PS: I'm far from a computer let alone Mac OS whiz. Just a frustrated guy who tried all other advice to fix this problem and this seemed to be hitting a brick wall.

Peter

I went back to a time machine backup. The document has been behaving since then. I haven't saved it on icloud. However it is a pretty big document with lots of pictures. Very frustrating... but I didn't lose a lot of time once I went back to the backup.

Oh, if it makes any difference... I am using an early 2011 MacBook Pro and Mavericks OS. I gave it a manual command to save the document when the error message popped up.

Phendo777 - Thanks this is the only method I could find as well that worked for me!

I had the same problem, I simply manually saved it to iCloud, then moved the document back into my documents and into the place it wouldn't originally let me save it. Hope this helps!

I am replying to all posters with this issue. So what worked for me when I had this issue was, I click the little text in the top middle that says either Untitled or your document's name. And in the box that pops up I highlighted its name and changed its location and now it's saved. I don't know what the problem was, but that was a dead-simple solution that I hope you'll benefit from. No iCloud or Numbers needed!

I am replying to all posters with this issue. So what worked for me when I had this issue was, I click the little text in the top middle that says either Untitled or your document's name. And in the box that pops up I highlighted its name and changed its location and now it's saved. I don't know what the problem was, but that was a dead-simple solution that I hope you'll benefit from. No iCloud or Numbers needed!

I've tried each of the methods suggested, but I have a large document with a number of footnotes and the copy and paste method doesn't carry those over. I've tried changing the file name, location, etc. I plan on just leaving my computer on until I can find a way to fix this. Help please!

When you tried to save it again under a different name, did you save it on a different volume/disk? I have a feeling that that may make a difference. Although, I used my Time Machine backup... and lost very little. Just a few minutes of work. But, if you are working on it... and not getting it saved... you will lose more work.

You are hanging a rabbits foot on your monitor and throwing some salt over your shoulder.

If you don't have permissions to save where you first tried, obviously trying somewhere else is obvious.

Also it is possible you have a server problem or an illegal character in the file name.

Peter

It my case, it wasn't a server problem... or permissions. Although, I did see odd things in the directory where I was saving before I had the problem. Also, every time that I saved or attempted to save the file, it left a folder of files with odd hex names. Which to me appeared to be 'temp' files that were created and something interupted the process.

Sorry, not overly tech savy.. not sure what saving to a different volume or disk would entail? I tried saving to an external hard drive and that didn't work either.

The folder would be the zipped Pages package, disassembled.

There is the possibility that it is all coming from problems in iCloud, which to me is a teetering tower of cards, just waiting for the most inconvenient moment to fall around your ears.

After 30 years of managing studios, this shouts out at me "don't touch me with a bargepole!"

I am currently struggling with mis-synched photos from my iPod Touch, iCloud and my Aperture library. Something I can't avoid and am hoping to clear up without a total reinstall.

Peter