Why does my word document sometimes automatically change the name to a 4-digit number?

Question

I am writing a book using Microsoft Word. I have it saved on my One Drive. Occasionally it will save under a 4-digit number without my knowledge. Why would this be happening?

Answer 1

The issue of your Word document automatically saving under a 4-digit number could be related to a few factors. One common cause is that the document may be getting saved as a temporary file when there is an issue with the original file or the saving process. This can happen if Word encounters an error while trying to save the document, leading it to create a temporary file with a generic name, often consisting of a series of numbers.

Additionally, if there are add-ins or macros that interfere with the saving process, they might also cause unexpected behavior, including renaming files in this manner.

To troubleshoot this issue, you might want to check for any add-ins that could be affecting Word's functionality, or consider whether there are any issues with your OneDrive connection that could be interrupting the saving process.

Answer 2

It is normal for Word to create several temporary files when you edit a document.

Is this affecting files that you synchronize with OneDrive?

Answer 3

Google Drive (somewhat randomly) renames open Excel and Word files to a 4-digit filename and moves it to the folder [working directory]/.tmp.driveupload. I haven;t found a fix for this other than disabling Google Drive from backing up that folder.