Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Extra Document File Being Saved.

Extra Document File Being Saved

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 4, 2020)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


Tim noted that when he saves a document, Word also saves one that replaces the first two letters of the document name with ~$. For instance, if the document name is OfficeReport.doc, then the file is called ~$ficeReport.docx. Tim wonders why this extra file is created and how he can stop it.

The short answer is that you cannot stop it, and you probably won't want to stop it once you understand what it really is. This file is called an "owner file" and it is created automatically by Word. According to Microsoft, owner files are created when "a previously saved file is opened for editing, for printing, or for review" and the file "holds the logon name of person who opens the file." It is a temporary file that is used to indicate who is working on the file so that others can't mess up what the person is editing in the file.

Owner files are just one type of temporary file used by Word as you edit documents. There are many other such files that are used to store information related to your current Word session. You can find detailed information about these temporary files (including owner files) in the following Knowledge Base article:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/211632

Normally, temporary files are "hidden" so that they aren't visible to users while they are working in Word. If you have your version of Windows set up to display hidden and system files, then you can see these temporary files in Windows.

It is important to realize that the temporary files are normally deleted, automatically, when you exit Word. If Word is exited abnormally (the program crashes, Windows crashes, or the power on your machine is turned off without first exiting Word), then the temporary files will remain on your system. Using the information in the above Knowledge Base article, you can safely search for and delete the temporary files as long as Word is not open.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (3510) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Extra Document File Being Saved.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Cannot Convert a Document File to a Readable Document

Open a Word document file, and you can start to make edits and changes to your heart's content. But what happens if the ...

Discover More

Deleting Menu Items

Want to get rid of some menu options so that they can't be selected? It's easy to do when customizing Word by using these ...

Discover More

AutoFormat Won't Convert a Right Arrow

Word can automatically convert different sequences of text characters into single-character symbols. It might appear that ...

Discover More

Do More in Less Time! Are you ready to harness the full power of Word 2013 to create professional documents? In this comprehensive guide you'll learn the skills and techniques for efficiently building the documents you need for your professional and your personal life. Check out Word 2013 In Depth today!

More WordTips (menu)

Printing Documents in a Folder

If you want to print a group of documents at the same time there are a couple of ways you can accomplish the task. Here ...

Discover More

Cannot Open Multiple Word Documents

What are you to do if you try to open a document and Word automatically closes your previous document? Word is not ...

Discover More

Document Size Changes

When you last upgraded Word, did you notice a change in the size of your document files?

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is five more than 8?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.

Videos
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.