Error Message: Unrecoverable Disk Error on File ~DOC####.TMP

• Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0a-CD, 2.0b, 2.0c

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Word for Windows, you may receive the following error message if Word cannot locate or read the document's temporary (.TMP) file:

   Unrecoverable Disk Error on File ~DOC####.TMP

CAUSE

This error message usually occurs when you are working with a file from a network drive or a floppy disk drive. The error message does not disappear when you choose the Retry or Cancel button.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the versions of Microsoft Word for Windows listed above. This problem was corrected in Word version 6.0 for Windows.

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MORE INFORMATION

Word creates a .TMP file in the current directory. The filename of a .TMP file begins with the tilde character (~) and ends with a .TMP extension. Word accesses this file while you work on your document. If Word cannot access this file, Word will halt, and the error message will be displayed.

Floppy Disk Drive

If your current directory is a floppy disk drive, this error will occur after you remove the floppy disk where the .TMP file is located. You must put the floppy disk back in the disk drive so that Word can access the .TMP file.

To avoid this error message, copy your file from the floppy disk to the hard drive. Open the file in Word from the hard drive; do not open the file from the floppy disk. By working from the hard drive, you ensure that the .TMP file can always be accessed by Word. When you finish working on your document, copy it back to the floppy disk.

Network Drive

If your current directory is a network drive, this error will occur if you do not have sufficient user rights in that directory. The message may also occur if your connection to the network drive is disrupted. You must have create, modify, and delete rights to a network directory if it is the current directory. Word must be allowed to modify and delete the .TMP files it creates; if Word is prevented from completing these actions, the "Unrecoverable Disk Error on File ~DOC####.TMP" error message will appear. See your network administrator to obtain adequate user rights, or move your files to a different directory in which you have adequate rights.

Steps to Reproduce Problem (Floppy Disk)

1. On a formatted blank floppy disk, create the following two directories:

   A:\DIR1 A:\DIR2

2. Copy a Word document to A:\DIR1.

3. Launch Word. Open the document copied to A:\DIR1 in step 2.

4. Select a portion of the document. From the Edit menu, choose Copy.

5. Move the insertion point to a different position in the document. From the Edit menu, choose Paste.

6. From the File menu, choose Save.

7. Create a new document, based on the NORMAL.DOT template.

8. Type some text into the document.

9. From the File menu, choose Save. In the File Name box, type "A:\DIR2\TEMP.DOC" (without the quotation marks), and choose the OK button.

10. Select a portion of the document. From the Edit menu, choose Copy.

11. Move the insertion point to a different position in the document. From the Edit menu, choose Paste.

12. From the File menu, choose Save to save TEMP.DOC.