A File Error Has Occurred While Saving Word Document

Jean updated on Jan 11, 2024 | Home >Computer Instruction

Applies to Word 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019

A file error has occurred: cannot save Word document.

"What's causing 'a file error has occurred while saving a Microsoft Word to a .doc or .docx format? I've been working on this document all day, and everything's almost done so far, I dont want to lose any data. What should I do?"  

a file error has occurred Word

Microsoft Word is one of the best popular text processors used by most users. However, high usage rates also lead to higher error rates. Many issues are occurring when users open, edit, or save a Word document, such as 'The file cannot be opened because there are problems with the contents', 'Word 2016 crashes on opening the old document in Windows 10', 'Word not responding', and more. Here, on this page, we will focus on one such usual Word file error - 'A file error has occurred. 

Workable Solutions Step-by-step Troubleshooting
Fix 1. Tool Fix Download and install EaseUS file repair tool. From the software's main screen, select...Full steps
Fix 2. Temporary Fix Create a new blank Word > Copy all contents > Save the new blank files...Full steps
Fix 3. Permanent Fix Show hidden files and folders > Delete all files whose name contains 'normal'...Full steps

Possible Causes of Word 'A File Error Has Occurred' Error

Although we can't make sure of the specific cause of the Word problem, the following possible reasons can help us find a way to solve the problem.

  • The Word document is password protected.
  • Word file is available on Network Server and opened in two different PC at the same time.
  • Users have enabled the "Always Create Backup Copy" option.
  • Word document has been corrupted.

How to Fix Word Error 'A File Error Has Occurred'

When the problem appears, you can try to solve it with several solutions as listed below.

Tool Fix: Run Word Repair Software to Fix It

When you are faced with this error - "a file error has occurred", you can turn to EaseUS Fixo Document Repair first. This word repairs software corrupt Microsoft Office documents such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint with simple clicks. Follow the steps below to repair Word files with ease.

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Step 1. Download and launch Fixo on your PC or laptop. Choose "File Repair" to repair corrupted Office documents, including Word, Excel, PDF, and others. Click "Add Files" to select corrupted documents.

add files to repair documents with Fixo

Step 2. To repair multiple files at once, click the "Repair All" button. If you want to repair a single document, move your pointer to the target file and choose "Repair". You can also preview the documents by clicking the eye icon.

select documents to repair

Step 3. Click "Save" to save a selected document. Select "Save All" to save all the repaired files. Choose "View Repaired" to locate the repaired folder.

save repaired documents in Fixo

Temporary Fix: Creating a New Word File

  • Create a new blank Word file.
  • Copy and paste all the contents from the old Word file into a new blank file.
  • Save the new blank file with another new file name.

Remember to disable the  "Always create a backup copy" option, and make sure that there is no space in the file name while editing the Word document.

Permanent Fixes for Word 'A File Error Has Occurred' 

The above method can fix the issue temporarily. If you want to solve the 'A file error has occurred' problem permanently, follow the steps mentioned below.

Step 1. Show hidden files and folders

  • Open Control Panel and go to "File Explorer Options".
  • Click on the "View" tab
  • Under Advanced settings, tick the option in front of "Show hidden files, folders, and drives".

show hidden files and folders to fix a file error has occurred for Word

Step 2. Delete all files of which the name contains 'normal'

  • Open Windows Explorer and search the following path:

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates

  • In the Templates folder, delete all the files of which the name contains the "Normal" character, such as ~$Normal. dot. Pay attention, don't delete the Templates folder by wrong.

If you are still stuck on the issue after using all the ways and getting data loss, you should take action to recover unsaved Word documents as soon as possible. 

How to Recover Deleted/Lost Word Document

As you see, there is a chance to get back lost unsaved Word document. But if the Word document is missing by accidental deletion, emptying recycle bin, hard drive/flash drive formatting, virus attack, there is no way but to use a third-party file recovery tool. And EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard enables you to recover lost Word files (DOC/DOCX), as well as XLS/XLSX, PPT/PPTX, PDF, HTML/HTM, CWK, and more

 Download for Win Recovery Rate 99.7%
 Download for Mac Trustpilot Rating 4.7

Step 1. Launch EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, and then scan disk with corrupted documents. This software enables you to fix damaged Word, Excel, PPT, and PDF files in same steps. 

select the disk with corrupted documents

Step 2. EaseUS data recovery and repair tool will scan for all lost and corrupted files. You can find the target files by file type or type the file name in the search box. 

find corrupted documents

Step 3. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard can repair your damaged documents automatically. After file preview, you can click "Recover" to save the repaired Word, Excel, and PDF document files to a safe location.

repair corrrupt documents

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Updated by Dany

Dany is an editor of EaseUS who lives and works in Chengdu, China. She focuses on writing articles about data recovery on Mac devices and PCs. She is devoted to improving her writing skills and enriching her professional knowledge. Dany also enjoys reading detective novels in her spare time.

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Written by Jean

Jean is recognized as one of the most professional writers in EaseUS. She has kept improving her writing skills over the past 10 years and helped millions of her readers solve their tech problems on PC, Mac, and iOS devices.

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