An error has occurred while saving the Word document.

Applies to: Word 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019

An file error has occurred: unable to save the Word document.

"What is causing the 'A file error has occurred while saving a Microsoft Word to a .doc or .docx format?' I have been working on this document all day, and I've almost finished everything. I don't want to lose any data. What should I do?"

Microsoft Word is one of the most widely used text processors among users. However, its high usage frequency also results in a higher likelihood of errors. Numerous issues arise when users attempt to open, edit, or save a Word document, such as "The file cannot be opened because there are problems with the contents", "Word 2016 crashes when opening an old document in Windows 10", "Word not responding", and more. On this page, we will address a common Word file error - "A file error has occurred."

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Possible Causes of the 'A File Error Has Occurred' Error

Although we cannot pinpoint the exact cause of the Word issue, the following possible reasons can guide us in finding a solution to the problem.

1. The Word document is password protected. 2. The Word file is located on a Network Server and is simultaneously opened on two different PCs. 3. Users have activated the "Always Create Backup Copy" option. 4. The Word document has become corrupted.

How to Resolve the Word Error Message: 'A File Error Has Occurred'

When the issue arises, you can attempt to resolve it using the following solutions:

Tool Fix: Run Word Repair Software to Resolve the Issue

When encountering the error message "a file error has occurred," you can initially rely on Fixo Document Repair tools. This software specializes in repairing corrupted Microsoft Office documents, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, with just a few simple clicks. To easily repair Word files, follow these steps:

Step 1. Download and install Fixo on your desktop or laptop. Launch the application and choose the "File Repair" option to repair damaged Office files, such as Word, Excel, PDF, and more. Click on "Add Files" to select the corrupted documents.

Step 2. To repair multiple files simultaneously, click the "Repair All" button. If you wish to repair a single document, hover your pointer over the target file and select "Repair." You can also preview the documents by clicking the eye icon.

Step 3. Click "Save" to save the selected document. Choose "Save All" to save all the repaired files. Select "View Repaired" to locate the repaired folder.

Temporary Fix: Creating a New Word Document

1. Create a new, empty Word document. 2. Copy all the content from the old Word file and paste it into the new blank file. 3. Save the new blank file using a different file name.

Remember to disable the "Always create a backup copy" option, and ensure that there is no space in the file name when editing the Word document.

Permanent Solutions for Word 'A File Error Has Occurred'

The above method can provide a temporary solution. To permanently resolve the 'A file error has occurred' issue, please follow the steps outlined below.

Step 1: Display hidden files and folders

1. Open Control Panel and navigate to "File Explorer Options." 2. Click on the "View" tab. 3. Under Advanced settings, check the box next to "Show hidden files, folders, and drives."

Step 2: Delete all files with 'normal' in their names.

Open Windows Explorer and search for the following path:

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates

In the Templates folder, delete all the files whose name contains the character "Normal," such as ~$Normal.dot. Be cautious not to accidentally delete the Templates folder itself.

If you're still unable to resolve the issue after trying all methods and experiencing data loss, you should promptly take action to recover unsaved Word documents.

How to Recover Deleted/Lost Word Document

As you can see, there is an opportunity to retrieve an unsaved Word document that was lost. However, if the Word document is missing due to accidental deletion, emptying the recycle bin, formatting the hard drive/flash drive, a virus attack, or other similar issues, you will need to rely on a third-party file recovery tool. The Data Recovery Wizard tool allows you to recover lost Word files (DOC/DOCX), along with XLS/XLSX, PPT/PPTX, PDF, HTML/HTM, CWK, and many more formats.

Step 1. Launch the Data Recovery Wizard tool, and then scan the disk with corrupted documents. This software allows you to repair damaged Word, Excel, PPT, and PDF files using the same process.

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Step 2. The data recovery and repair tool will scan for all lost and corrupted files. You can locate the target files by selecting the file type or by typing the file name in the search box.

Step 3. The Data Recovery Wizard can automatically repair your damaged documents. After previewing the files, you can click "Recover" to save the repaired Word, Excel, and PDF document files to a secure location.