Microsoft Word Document not Saving

Question

My Microsoft word document would not save so I tried to open it on desktop, when I did that it got stuck on the saving screen and I can not highlight the file or do anything with it. If I tried to open the file again, it is not the finished document only the old one. What do I do?

Answer 1

Hi @Alexis N. Smith,

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum.

I would like to provide you with the following information. Please follow the steps below:

First, please close the Word application. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc > select Word > End task.

After that, reopen Word and follow these steps:

• Step 1: Click File > Info
• Step 2: Click Manage Document > Recover Unsaved Documents > select the most recent file or the file with a timestamp that matches the time when you completed and saved the document.

You may refer to the following article for more information: How to recover unsaved Word documents - Microsoft 365 Apps | Microsoft Learn

I hope this information is helpful. Please follow these steps and let me know if it works for you. If not, we can work together to resolve this.   

Thank you for your patience and your understanding. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to share them in the comments on this post so I can continue to support you.

I look forward to continuing the conversation.

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Answer 2

If your Microsoft Word document is not saving and is stuck on the saving screen, you can try the following steps:

1. Close Word: If Word is unresponsive, you may need to force close it. You can do this by using Task Manager (press Ctrl + Shift + Esc, find Microsoft Word in the list, and click on End Task).
2. Restart Word: After closing Word, reopen it. When Word starts, it will search for AutoRecover files. If it finds any, the Document Recovery pane will open, allowing you to recover your unsaved document.
3. Check for Backup Files: If you have the backup copy option enabled, check for any .wbk files. You can look in the following locations:
   • C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Word
   • C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\UnsavedFiles Replace <UserName> with your actual username.
4. Search for Temporary Files: You can also search for temporary files with a .tmp extension. Open the Start menu, type *.tmp, and check if any files match the dates and times you last edited your document.
5. Check the Recycle Bin: If you accidentally deleted the document, check the Recycle Bin to see if it is there.
6. Open and Repair: If you suspect the document may be corrupted, you can try opening it with the Open and Repair option. Go to File > Open, select the document, and choose Open and Repair from the dropdown.

If none of these steps work, you may need to create a new document and copy any recoverable content from the old document if it opens partially.

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References:

• How to recover unsaved Word documents
• You receive an error message when you try to open an Office document