Why is Windows Automatically Renaming Documents I save with a "~$"

[christinalandan]

Can someone please help me! I do not understand why all of the sudden
Windows started renaming any Microsoft Word document I open or
create. Let me give a simple example. I opened a document located on
the desktop entitled, "New Communication Log". I made a few
modifications to it and then saved it before closing Microsoft Word.
Then I looked at my desktop and I saw 2 files. One named "New
Communication Log" and one named "~$w Communication Log". Why does my
computer keep doing this with all of my word documents whether newly
created or not????

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Can someone please help me! I do not understand why all of the
sudden Windows started renaming any Microsoft Word document I open
or create. Let me give a simple example. I opened a document
located on the desktop entitled, "New Communication Log". I made a
few modifications to it and then saved it before closing Microsoft
Word. Then I looked at my desktop and I saw 2 files. One named "New
Communication Log" and one named "~$w Communication Log". Why does
my computer keep doing this with all of my word documents whether
newly created or not????

The ~w file should go away when you close word. It is the temporary working
file Microsoft Word has made... well - I think ever since I can remember
(Pretty sure Word 2000, XP, 2003 did it...)

So - I believe your problem is that the 'working file' is not being removed
when you close the application - not that anything is being renamed (it
isn't - if it was being 'renamed" then you would not have two files - you'd
just have one - with a different name. heh) That is - if you are actually
closing Word before looking.

Also - you will want to post your query in an Office or Word specific
newsgroup. Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook and so on)
are not a PART of Windows XP --> they are seperate products. They do not
come with Windows XP and the experts with those products are more likely to
be looking in their newsgroups than this one.

 

[Lem]

Can someone please help me! I do not understand why all of the sudden
Windows started renaming any Microsoft Word document I open or
create. Let me give a simple example. I opened a document located on
the desktop entitled, "New Communication Log". I made a few
modifications to it and then saved it before closing Microsoft Word.
Then I looked at my desktop and I saw 2 files. One named "New
Communication Log" and one named "~$w Communication Log". Why does my
computer keep doing this with all of my word documents whether newly
created or not????

Generally, when you open a document in MS Word, Word creates a temporary
working file with the same name as the document you opened except for
the first two characters of that name, which are replaced with ~$.
AFAIK, the temporary file is created in the same directory (folder)
where the original file is located.

I'm not sure what Word does with this temporary file; it's not a copy of
the original file.

If you have Word open in less than full screen mode, when you close it,
the Desktop *probably* doesn't immediately refresh (guessing here).
Next time you do this, try right-clicking in an empty area of the
Desktop and chose "Refresh." If the ~$xxxx file does not disappear, or
if you want to know *why* Word creates that temporary file, re-ask your
question in microsoft.public.word.newusers

--
Lem -- MS-MVP - Networking

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm