Saving and copying files
By default, FileMaker Pro automatically saves changes to your data as you work, so there is no Save command. You can, however:
 •
 •
Some actions do not cause a file to be saved. For details, see “What FileMaker Pro doesn’t save,” below.
To make a copy or clone of your database file:
1.
Choose File menu > Save a Copy As.
2.
3.
For File name (Windows) or Save As (OS X), type a filename.
4.
For Save as type, choose FileMaker Files (Windows only).
5.
For Save a (Windows) or Type (OS X), choose one of the following options:
 
Save a file’s tables, layouts, scripts, page setup options, and field definitions without the data.
Create a copy of the current file with all container data that is stored as a file reference or stored externally (by both open and secure storage) embedded in the file’s container fields.
Note  To have a copy of a file that includes container data that's stored externally, choose self-contained copy. The copy of current file and compacted copy options do not copy externally stored data. If you want to use either of those options, you'll need to embed data in the container fields first. For more information, see Setting up container fields to store data externally.
6.
For After saving, choose one or both of the following options if you wish:
 
7.
Click Save.
What FileMaker Pro doesn’t save
FileMaker Pro doesn't save changes to the state of a file, if they are the only changes you make while the file is open. For example, here are some changes that are not saved:
 •
 •
 •
 •
 •
 •
 •
For example, if you open a file, sort records, and then close the file, FileMaker Pro does not save the sort order. However, if you open a file, add a new record, sort the records, and then close the file, FileMaker Pro saves the sort order as well as the new record.
Notes
 •
FileMaker Pro constantly saves changes to your computer’s RAM, or cache. You can set the interval at which FileMaker Pro saves your work to disk, which can help preserve battery power on portable computers. For more information, see Setting memory preferences.
 •
You can also specify when FileMaker Pro saves changes by creating (and then executing) a script that contains the Flush Cache to Disk script step. This script command moves anything stored in RAM to the hard disk.
 •
 •
 •
 •
 •
FileMaker Go: before you transfer a file with container fields that store data externally, you must first embed the container field data. In FileMaker Pro, choose self-contained copy (single file). Container data will be embedded in the copy. Then transfer the copy to the device.
Related topics 
Opening files
Closing windows and files