Temp files still showing in server folder??

[Ed]

I logged into a folder on our intranet and opened and closed several Word
docs (one at a time). I did not make any changes to these docs. But now
I'm still seeing a ghosted temp file (~ileName$.doc) in the server folder
for each of the docs I opened. Word is not currently open on my machine
(Windows and Word XP), and Task Manage does not show any open instances of
Word.

Could this be a problem? Or the precursor to a problem? Or just the way
Word works? I've never seen this before, and I'm wondering if I should call
IT Help.

Ed

 

[Jay Freedman]

Hi Ed,

Normally, Word deletes these "owner files" when you close the
associated document. (See http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=211632
for an explanation of owner files.) I'd say that works properly on
your local drive "most of the time". I do sometimes find old ones
lying around months later. If you're sure Word (and Outlook, if you
use Word as the email editor) is shut down, you can just delete them
and other leftover temp files (as explained at
http://www.gmayor.com/what_to_do_when_word_crashes.htm).

When you start opening files across a network, things get a lot more
complicated. (It may look just like working with local files, but the
fact that it works at all is a minor miracle.) One surprisingly common
situation is that your access privileges in a network folder might not
include the right to delete files. There are also some bugs that
affect network file shares that don't affect local files, such as the
one described at http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=814112.

These files won't be a problem unless they start accumulating by the
hundreds. When you see them (with Word closed), just nuke them.

And I'll make a little bet that your IT people don't know anything
about the issue...

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the
newsgroup so all may benefit.

 

[Jay Freedman]

Hi Ed,

Normally, Word deletes these "owner files" when you close the
associated document. (See http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=211632
for an explanation of owner files.) I'd say that works properly on
your local drive "most of the time". I do sometimes find old ones
lying around months later. If you're sure Word (and Outlook, if you
use Word as the email editor) is shut down, you can just delete them
and other leftover temp files (as explained at
http://www.gmayor.com/what_to_do_when_word_crashes.htm).

When you start opening files across a network, things get a lot more
complicated. (It may look just like working with local files, but the
fact that it works at all is a minor miracle.) One surprisingly common
situation is that your access privileges in a network folder might not
include the right to delete files. There are also some bugs that
affect network file shares that don't affect local files, such as the
one described at http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=814112.

These files won't be a problem unless they start accumulating by the
hundreds. When you see them (with Word closed), just nuke them.

And I'll make a little bet that your IT people don't know anything
about the issue...

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the
newsgroup so all may benefit.

 

[Ed]

Thanks, Jay. I had no idea it took so much to work across a network. As it
turns out, I had Read permissions on the folder, but not Modify, so
apparently the folder wouldn't let "me" delete the temps. That has been
fixed (so far!).

And I'll make a little bet that your IT people don't know anything
about the issue...

Don't get me started on *that* one!! It's almost as bad as calling "Tech
Support" for my cell phone and getting someone in a foreign country who
doesn't understand what I'm saying and only knows what the FAQs on the
computer say. At least I got a new phone out of that one.

Cheers!
Ed

 

[Ed]

Thanks, Jay. I had no idea it took so much to work across a network. As it
turns out, I had Read permissions on the folder, but not Modify, so
apparently the folder wouldn't let "me" delete the temps. That has been
fixed (so far!).

And I'll make a little bet that your IT people don't know anything
about the issue...

Don't get me started on *that* one!! It's almost as bad as calling "Tech
Support" for my cell phone and getting someone in a foreign country who
doesn't understand what I'm saying and only knows what the FAQs on the
computer say. At least I got a new phone out of that one.

Cheers!
Ed