Word Cannot Complete the Save Due to a File Permission Error Mac [Fixed]

User issue: A file permission error on Mac.

"I am unable to open or save a Word document. I receive an error message stating: 'WORD CANNOT SAVE DUE TO A FILE PERMISSION ERROR.' I'm using a Mac with the latest version of Microsoft Office. I've also attempted to reinstall Office." - A genuine user issue from answers.microsoft.com

The "Word cannot complete the save due to a file permission error" message can unexpectedly pop up on both Mac and Windows computers. This issue typically occurs when your Word document is set to read-only, your Mac is restricting writing permissions, or there's a conflict with the file names. To resolve this problem, try the following solutions:

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Recover Unsaved Word Documents on Mac

If you lose your unsaved documents because Word is unable to complete the save due to a file permission error, you first need to know how to recover unsaved Word documents before delving into troubleshooting methods.

Use Data Recovery Wizard for Mac to help you recover unsaved documents such as Word, Excel, PPT, or PDF in just three steps. Click the "Download for Mac" button and install this file recovery tool on your Mac. Follow the steps below to restore your unsaved files.

Step 1. Launch the Mac Data Recovery Wizard, hover the mouse over the device where you lost an unsaved file, and click "Search for lost files".

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Step 2. After the scan, click "Type" and expand "Unsaved Documents." Click on the specific file type that you lost without saving - Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Keynote, Pages, or Numbers.

Step 3. Double-click to preview your unsaved file, choose the correct version, and click "Recover" to save the file to another secure location on your Mac.

Did this file recovery software help you retrieve lost Word documents? Share it on your social media to help others learn about it.

Solution 2: Open Word in Safe Mode and Disable Add-ins

Safe Mode disables all add-ins and starts Word with a minimal set of drivers. You can launch Word in Safe Mode to determine if the plugin is the issue.

Open Word in Safe Mode

Press and hold the Shift + Control + Option keys together while launching Word, and release them once Word starts up. If Word opens successfully in safe mode, it suggests that certain add-ins might be causing the issue. To address this, you can troubleshoot by disabling the add-ins.

Disable Add-ins in Word

Step 1. On the top bar, click "Tools" > "Templates and Add-ins".

Step 2. If there are any add-ins loaded, select the ones you need to remove. Note down the full path of the add-ins.

Step 3. Go to the full path and drag the add-ins to the Trash.

Fix 3: Obtain Ownership of the Word File on a Mac

When encountering an "access denied" issue while opening, editing, copying, or saving files, the problem might stem from not having full permissions to save the file to a specific location for your user account.

Follow the steps below to take ownership of the Word files on your Mac: 1. Open "Finder" on your Mac. 2. Navigate to the location where your Word files are stored, typically in the "Documents" folder or any custom folder you've designated. 3. Select the Word file(s) for which you want to change the ownership. 4. Right-click on the selected file(s) and choose "Get Info" from the context menu. 5. In the "Get Info" window that appears, look for the "Sharing & Permissions" section at the bottom. 6. Click the lock icon in the lower right corner and enter your admin username and password to make changes. 7. Click the "+" button under "Privilege" to add a new user. 8. Type "yourusername" (replace 'yourusername' with your actual username on the Mac) in the "Select a user or group" field, then click "Search" or press Enter. 9. Once your username appears, select it from the list and set the privileges to "Read & Write" in the dropdown menu next to the username. 10. If necessary, click the "Apply" button to apply the changes to all files within the selected folder (if multiple files were selected). 11. Close the "Get Info" window. Now, you should be the owner of the Word files on your Mac and have full control over them.

Step 1. Locate the Word file, right-click on it (or press Ctrl + click), and choose "Get Info" from the contextual menu.

Step 2. Scroll down to "Sharing & Permissions" in the pop-up window. In this section, you will see a list of users and the permissions each has (Read & Write, Read Only, or No Access).

Step 3. Click the lock icon in the bottom corner of the info window. Enter your account password when prompted. Once unlocked, you can modify the permissions.

Step 4. Select the account whose ownership you want to change, and then select Read & Write or Read Only.

Step 5. Click the gear icon and select "Apply to enclosed items" to apply the permissions to all files and folders within the Word document. Then, close the info window.

After this process, try saving your Word file again and see if the file permission error消失.

Solution 4: Update Microsoft Office to the Latest Version

Another effective way to resolve the 'Word cannot save' issue is by updating Office to the latest version.

Step 1. Open the Word application on your Mac. On the top bar, click "Help" > "Check for Updates".

Step 2. In the Microsoft AutoUpdate window, select "Automatically keep Microsoft apps up to date" and click "Update" to download and install any available updates.

Fix 5: Temporarily Disable Antivirus Software

某些用户报告称，某些反病毒软件可能会导致权限丢失的问题。这种反病毒软件试图保护您的个人文件和文件夹，以确保其他软件或用户无法更改它们。

In such cases, you can temporarily disable the antivirus software to check if Word's inability to complete the save is due to a file permission error. However, Microsoft does not advise users to disable antivirus software as it leaves your computer susceptible to threats. Hence, once the issue is resolved, it's crucial to reactivate the antivirus software immediately.

"Word Cannot Complete the Save Due to a File Permission Error" Causes

• The filename is already taken, or the file name is incorrect or not allowed.
• Add-ins in your configuration block you from saving Word files.
• You don't have full ownership of the computer.
• Antivirus software is attempting to protect your computer and blocks file-saving.
• Problems with Office and operating systems hinder the saving of Word files.

If you encounter a Word file permission error while saving a Word document, first verify if the file already exists with the same name or if there's a naming issue. Instead of using the "Save" option, opt for "Save As." If these suggestions don't resolve the issue, attempt the solutions mentioned above for the error message "Word cannot complete the save due to a file permission error."

Resolve the "Word Cannot Complete the Save Permission Error" on Windows

The methods to resolve the issue "Word 2010/2013/2016/2019 cannot complete the save due to a file permission error" on Mac are similar to those on Windows computers.

1. Restart your Windows and Word. 2. Uninstall and reinstall Microsoft Office Word. 3. Obtain or modify the ownership of your Windows. 4. Launch Word in Safe Mode and disable add-ins. 5. Ensure that Microsoft Office applications and Windows are up to date.

Final Verdicts

This comprehensive guide provides effective solutions to address the "Word cannot complete the save due to a file permission error" on Mac. You can resolve the issue by repairing damaged files, starting Word in Safe Mode, disabling add-ins and antivirus software, acquiring file ownership, and more.

Moreover, there are additional tutorials on recovering unsaved Word documents using data recovery tools showcased. I hope you will find all the answers you need right here.