Avoid the My Documents default (Microsoft Word 2003/2007/2010)

When you choose Save As or Open, Word automatically opens the My Documents folder in the resulting dialog box. If you tend to work from a folder other than My Documents, you'll save valuable time by setting that primary folder as your default.

To do this, choose Tools | Options from the menu bar, and click on the File Locations tab. Select Documents from the File Types list box and click Modify. In the Modify Location dialog box, open your preferred folder, and then click OK. Click OK to close the Options dialog box. Each time you start Word, it opens the folder you designated as the default working folder the first time you access the Open or Save As dialog box. (In 2007, click on the Microsoft Office Button, then click on Word Options. Click on Save, then find the Default File Location text box and click Browse to change your working folder.)

Regardless of which folder you've selected as the default, Word remembers which folder you navigate to during your Word session and sends you there for subsequent saves or opens. For example, if your default is the C: drive, that folder opens when you first launch Word. But, if you navigate to a folder on your network to open or save a document, Word opens that folder next time you click Save As or Open. When you close and reopen Word, the Save As or Open dialog box again defaults to the C: drive.