WD: Troubleshooting "Word Temp #" and Word "Rescue" Files

• Microsoft Word for the Macintosh versions 3.0, 3.01, 3.02, 4.0, 5.0, 5.1, 6.0

SUMMARY

If you are saving a document in Microsoft Word for the Macintosh and the program unexpectedly quits, a "Word Temp #" file will remain in the same folder the document was originally located. It will contain the text and formatting of the last saved version of the file.

Word Version 5.0 and Later

When using Word under System 7.0, Word Temp files are placed in an invisible folder called Temporary Items in the root directory. If Word unexpectedly quits, this folder becomes visible. If the machine is restarted, this folder will be moved to the trash and placed in a folder called "Rescued Items from <hard disk name>" and will then need to be dragged back to the hard disk. It can then be recovered using one of the methods listed below.

If the machine is not restarted and Word is launched the Temp file will be erased from the Temporary Items folder and will not be able to be recovered. If the Temp file is moved from the Temporary Items folder BEFORE Word is launched, it can then be recovered using one of the methods listed below.

Under System 6.x, the Word Temp files are stored in System Folder as described below.

Word Version 4.0

Word also creates a "Word Temp #" file in the System Folder of the start-up disk every time the program is run. Under normal operating conditions, these "Word Temp #" files are removed when you choose Quit from the File menu. If the program unexpectedly quits, this file will be left in the System Folder. These temporary files usually do not contain usable information and can be discarded.

MORE INFORMATION

To see if the "Word Temp #" files contain any of your text, choose By Size from the Finder View menu to see the size of the files. If the files are fairly large, you can try to recover the text using one of the following two methods:

Method 1

Word Version 5.0 5.1:

1. Start Word.

2. From the File menu, choose Open.

3. From the List Files of Type pop-up menu, choose All Files.

4. Select a "Word Temp #" file, and then click Open. The temporary file will be opened.

1. Start Word.

2. Hold down the SHIFT key and choose Open Any File from the File menu.

3. Select a "Word Temp #" file, then click Open. The temporary file will be opened.

Method 2

1. Using MacTools, Fedit Plus, or some other disk-utility package, change the "File Type" of the Word Temp file from WTMP to WDBN (capital letters must be used).

2. Try to open the document in Word.

In Word versions 1.0x, the temporary files are called "MWxxx". You can use the second method to recover these files.

If "Word Temp #" files are accumulating rapidly and for no apparent reason, make sure you do not have version 3.0. This version does not always remove the temporary files upon quitting. For more information, query on the following words:

    word and 3.0 and Temp