Quite often, when I try to modify an existing file, and save it, a file permission error appears. If I try to ignore it, it prompts me to save under a different name or lose the file completely. This happens with both types of saving (Word 2007 or Word 2003). How to solve this problem? I suspect problem was caused by my recent Windows update! The message is: Word cannot complete the save due to a file permission error. Filename: ~WRL2461.tmp (if I go to save).

Word Permission Errors

The "cannot save due to file permission error" in Word is a common one, with several ideas bouncing around on various forums. One of the common themes is that this error may be related to antivirus programs interfering with the saving of a temporary document to a permanent one. Another common theme involves saving Word files to FAT drives rather than NTFS drives.

For example, many users have reported that their Word permission errors have disappeared after uninstalling antivirus products such as Live One Care or Symantec. Others have reported that reformatting their portable storage devices to use the NTFS file system rather than FAT has solved their permission problems.

Kaspersky Lab's knowledge base presents a solution for file permission errors with Word and its Kasperksy Internet Security 2009 and Anti-Virus 2009 products. Its solutions, which comes with two options, involves either reformatting the hard disk or portable media from FAT32 to NTFS or changing the scan mode from "On access and modification."

Presumably, other malware products might have similar settings. Check your anti-malware program's settings to see if you can change the way the program scans your documents. If you are saving the Word files to a FAT device, formatting the device to NTFS may also solve your problems. However, if it's your hard drive, this could be a major undertaking.

Rolling Back Undesirable Updates

If your latest Windows update seems to have caused the problem, you can roll it back by using System Restore (Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore) and choosing a date from before the last update and then rolling back your system.

Celeste Stewart | October 13th, 2010
Tags: permission errors in word, word cannot save file, word permission error
Categories: Computer Error Messages

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