Bug in Microsoft Word deletes documents instead of saving; here’s how to solve the problem

Microsoft Word is the most widely used text editor in the world, but writers and students have run into a serious problem that has been recognized by Microsoft recently. The new bug deletes documents instead of saving them, eliminating all work from your computer.

According to Microsoft, the problem occurs if the file extension has uppercase letters or the “#” symbol, which causes Word to erase it when trying to save and close the document. The bug occurs with all Office users in version 2409. The Word version can be checked in the File menu > Word > Account.

Workarounds and Precautions

To mitigate the risk of losing documents, Microsoft recommends several precautions:

• Manual Saving: Users should manually save their documents before closing Word. This can help avoid triggering the bug that occurs when the application prompts to save upon closing.
• Check File Names: Avoid using filenames that contain the # symbol or have capitalized extensions, as these are linked to the deletion issue.

Remedy

Here’s how the file is erased when you close Microsoft Word after saving it.

Tests indicate that the damage is not permanent, as the file is moved to the system’s Recycle Bin, but since it is automatically emptied every 30 days, the file may become unrecoverable after this time.

Solutions to the problem

Microsoft gives two workarounds for the bug while it is not permanently fixed:

1. Save the file manually before closing the document, paying attention to whether its extension has capital letters or the character “#”;
2. Turn on the “Don’t show backstage when opening or saving files with keyboard shortcuts” option in > File Options menu > Save > Don’t show backstage when opening or saving files with keyboard shortcuts.

In case you can’t see the extensions of the file names, just uncheck the “Hide extensions for known file types” option in File Explorer under the View tab.

Microsoft has rolled out a fix for this bug as of October 8, 2024. Users who continue to experience issues are advised to close all open Office applications and restart them to ensure the fix is applied. If documents are still missing, users should check their Recycle Bin for potentially recoverable files. This situation highlights the importance of regularly backing up important documents and being cautious with file naming conventions in Microsoft Word.

Microsoft did not give a deadline for fixing the problem, but says that its team is investigating the bug to find ways to fix it. Until then, we recommend using other editors like Libre Office and Google Docs.

More Information ℹ

• Locally saved Word files with capitalized file extensions or # in the title may be deleted after save