The save process is usually initiate save (f5 or via menu), then the noticeable part where you can’t move or do anything, then you can move your characters again but if you hit esc, the buttons “save” and “load” are still greyed out. I assume that this is the interval where shenanigans can occur. A few seconds after that, the buttons become usable again and the “saved successfully” message appears on-sceen.