There’s no Auto Save or Auto Backup in Elements (or full Photoshop), at least insofar as I’m aware.
I’m not sure why they aren’t included, but one reason may be that the process of photo editing is at times trial and error, and one very valuable feature of Elements is the ability to use Undo History to go back to an earlier stage of your editing session. If Auto Save were involved, it seems like it would be extremely complicated to control precisely when you wanted to save and when you did not.
I sometimes reach a stage in an editing session where I want to save an intermediate version, complete with all its layers and effects, then go on and apply a filter or plug-in that might flatten all the layers or otherwise significantly change the image. I want full control in those circumstances of what I save and what I call it; Auto Save would more of a hindrance than a help in that case.
Having said that, I’ve also lost some work when the power has dipped or I’ve inadvertently shut down Elements without making a final Save. I try to make Save As and Save important parts of the workflow throughout the session.
Chuck
thanks for the prompt response. Your rationale makes some sense, though autosave and undo capability don’t seem mutually exclusive features.. maybe they are? At least I won’t keep looking for something that isn’t there.
You’re right, of course – they’re not mutually exclusive. It’s more of a mind set thing: I don’t want to save until I’m sure I’m ready to overwrite what’s been saved before, and then I want to do it myself. Personal preference, really; solution might be a toggle on-off Auto Save, such as found in some MS programs.
