Get Back “Save As”

With Lion, many OS X apps lost the ages-old Save As option on the File menu. After a file has been initially saved, the preferred way to save a new copy with a different filename is to use the Duplicate option on the File menu, which, as its name suggests, produces a copy of the original that you can then manually save with a new filename. Time-consuming, to say the least!

The good news is that Mountain Lion goes some way to restoring the Save As option. Alas, there are a couple of caveats, as follows:

• The Save As option on the file menu is hidden. To see it, activate the File menu by clicking it, and then hold down Option. It will appear where the Duplicate option usually is. There’s a keyboard shortcut for Save As that lets you avoid using the File menu, but it’s somewhat convoluted —Shift+Option+Command+ S.

• Mountain Lion’s Save As option doesn’t work quite the same way as you might be used to because of OS X’s autosave and versions feature. When you use Save As to create a copy of an older document you’ve edited, a checkbox headed Keep Changes In Original Document will appear at the bottom of the Save As dialog box. If this is checked, when you click the Save button, the changes you made since opening the original file will be saved to the old file in addition to the new one you’ve created. Therefore, you’ll want to ensure this box is unchecked whenever you use Save As! As described next, you can assign the old keyboard shortcut of Shift+Command+ S to Save As, which has the added advantage of adding the Save As option permanently to the File menu once again. The Duplicate option will still be listed, but it will lose its shortcut key.

Adding a Save As option to the File menu

Here’s what to do: 

1. Open System Preferences (Apple menu→System Preferences), and click the Keyboard icon. In the pane that appears, select the Keyboard Shortcuts tab. 

2. You’ll see two separate panes within the window—the left-showing menu headings and the right-showing keyboard shortcuts. In the left pane, select the Application Shortcuts heading. On the right, click the small plus button beneath the pane.

3. In the dialog box that drops down, ensure All Applications is selected in the Application drop-down list, and in the Menu Title field type SaveAs.... It’s important to type the capital letters at the beginning of each word and the three periods (ellipsis) following.

4. Place the cursor in the Keyboard Shortcut field, then hold down Shift plus Command, and finally tap the S key. This will enter the new shortcut. Then click the Add button and close System Preferences.

The changes should take effect within applications immediately. If not, simply restart the application.

Removing Save As from the Default Menu Options

To remove Save As from the File menu and restore the original key binding, follow these steps:

1. Open System Preferences once again, select the Keyboard option, and ensure the Keyboard Shortcuts tab is visible.

2. Make sure Applications Shortcuts is selected in the menu on the left, and then select your Save As... entry in the list on the right.

3. Hit the small minus key beneath the list. This will delete the entry you created. Then quit System Preferences.

Your changes will take effect immediately.