only one Owner file ~$-bb-cc.docx created for 2 files a1-bb-cc.docx a2-bb-cc.docx in a same folder

Question

Hello all,

I'm working for a non profit organization for users working on a windows 2016 Professional Plus, essentially working on an RDS (Windows server 2019). We do not use Sharepoint, and the configurtion we have for MS Office file is: Only one user can open an MS Office file at the same time.

Our users are using word files as is in a same folder

01-12-20.docx

02-12-20.docx

03-12-20.docx

...

Compliantly to the documentation

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/description-of-how-word-creates-temporary-files-66b112fb-d2c0-8f40-a0be-70a367cc4c85

The name of the "Owner File", created when a user open for instance 01-12-20.docx with Word, should be: ~$01-12-20.docx.

But this is not what happens, the file created has its prefix truncated with 2 characters (sometimes only one) and the file created is : ~$-12-20.docx.

This is a problem because this involves regularly confusion and for our users:

Let say we have 3 users: John, Jim and Joe.

John open 01-12-20.docx and the "Owner file" created, ~$-12-20.docx, then belongs to John.

Jim then open the file 02-12-20.docx in MS Word. As the file was not by anybody, Jim has no warning, but as the owner file ~$-12-20.docx already exist, no "Owner file" is created.

Finally, Joe tries to open the same file opend by Jim, i.e 02-12-20.docx, he receive a warning saying that file 02-12-20.docx is already opened by : John !!!

Which in fact creates some confusion since it is indeed opened by Jim.

Also after testing this weird behaviour, I had the following experience:

Creation of a folder, Creation in this folder of the file foobar.docx. The "Owner File" while opening this file in MS Word is correct: ~$foobar.docx.

In the same folder, creation fo the file ab-cd-ef.docx, opening it in Ms Word, the "owner file" is wrong : ~$-cd-ef.docx.

Still in the same folder, creation the file zz-whatever.docx. Opening it, the associated "Owner file" is also wrong: ~$-whatever.docx.

At last creating whatever word file in this folder, for instance "nimportequoi.docx", opening it create the wrong "Owner file": ~$mportequoi.docx !!

Moreover an error I cannot easily reproduce is that sometimes MS Word is badly closed and the owner File is not suppressed (e.g Crash de Word)

I di not find relevant references mentioning this bug. Is there a workaround for this issue?

Is there another solution except never using this xx-pp-qq.docx? I guess the minus character used in the name of an ms office file has something to do with this issue.

MS Office version : word 2016 professionel plus, version 2406 word 17726.20126 Office

Warning: I also tried on my Windows 11 withe MS Office 2016 Professional Plus, and I could reproduce the same issue with wrong "Owner File" names created.

Thanks in advance for paying attention to this issue.