Word tmp files (2003)

[peterg]

Word has started saving temporary copies of files in the folder where I keep the Word files themselves. I can simply delete them with no problem, but I think this happened to me once before and it was resolved, but I can't remember how. Does this ring a bell with anyone?

[jscher2000]

Word creates a LOT of temporary files, but usually they are cleaned up automatically when you close the document. One possible exception is when you open a file from FolderA, edit and save it a few times, and then use Save As to save it to FolderB. Word may fail to clean up the temp files in FolderA. The other exception is when Word does not close normally, that is, when Word crashes. If you are finding a build-up of temp files in other situations, can you detect a pattern?

[peterg]

All of the files bear today's date and all of the filenames begin with a tilde and are hidden. Two have the archive bit set and are 162 bytes in size (my name and gobbledygook), and half a dozen are full-sized files. I can read then with my X-ray utility and they are identical to saved files.

I have indeed been bouncing files around among folders, and I have been getting crashes that tell me that Word has to close and offering to notify Microsoft. I can't do that because it is an off-line machine. I have been lucky so far, and I have a backup utility that lets me back up the documents with every save if necessary (I have it set to back up on demand).

I probably have a saved dot which might be worth trying in case the problem is with that, but I'm also contemplating a repair install. Unfortunately I can't remember how much I lose if I do that.

[HansV]

I don't have a solution for your problem, but before taking drastic measures, you might check out Phil Rabichow's <!post=Systematic Approach to Behavioral Problems in Word (97/2000),197827>Systematic Approach to Behavioral Problems in Word (97/2000)<!/post> to see if the problem is caused by a misbehaving add-in, for example.

Also see Microsoft's Description of how Word creates temporary files

[jscher2000]

Frankly, those files sound perfectly normal. But it would be helpful to figure out what is causing Word to crash so that they get cleaned up properly. One short-term strategy might be to close Word every few hours. You should be able to re-open the files you had open from the "most recently used" list at the bottom of the File menu. Or you could explore the optional Work menu...