'Word could not create the work file. Check the temp environment variable.' What is the simplest way to resolve this please!

Anonymous
2012-01-11T10:55:22+00:00

When I open Word I get this message every time: 'Word could not create the work file. Check the temp environment variable.' Word then crashes very often without autosaving. 

I've found many people asking this question but I utterly do not understand the answers people have given them! Is there a simple way to resolve this - I know literally nothing about computers! Please help with the easiest solution possible.

Many thanks!

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

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Doug Robbins - MVP - Office Apps and Services 323.6K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
2012-01-11T20:35:19+00:00

When I open Word I get this message every time: 'Word could not create the work file. Check the temp environment variable.' Word then crashes very often without autosaving. 

I've found many people asking this question but I utterly do not understand the answers people have given them! Is there a simple way to resolve this - I know literally nothing about computers! Please help with the easiest solution possible.

Many thanks!

The error message "Word could not create the work file. Check the temp environment variable". Can be caused by incorrect registry values in the key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Explorer\User Shell Folders.

Click Start and in the start search field, type

Regedit

and press enter.

In the registry editor, browse to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Explorer\User Shell Folders

On the right hand pane, check the value data for Cache.

It has to be %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files.

If it is different, double click on Cache and type:

%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files

under value data and click ok. Close the registry and  restart the computer and check if it works.

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  1. Anonymous
    2015-04-15T18:28:09+00:00

    I have this same problem.

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-04-15T18:27:16+00:00

    I get the messege 'Word could not create the work file. Check the temp environment variable.'

    every time I open microsoft word or try to open a file.  I checke dmy cache as you suggested and it is correct. 

    Now what?

    I did a virus scan and I seem to be clear.

    Thank you

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  3. Anonymous
    2015-03-31T23:41:42+00:00

    Thank you so much!!! This helped me enormously and I'm so grateful I found your reply :D

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  4. Anonymous
    2015-03-20T18:43:48+00:00

    I'm having this same error message.  My Registry and Internet Cache are in sync at the default location that is not my problem either.

    Situation:

    For me, it's whenever I invoke the word application.  I click the icon and get the error.  Once I dismiss the error, I can select the blank page template and begin a new document.

    For existing documents that I open, I get the error message too.  Then I click the button to dismiss it and it pops back up.  If I repeat this several times, the document will eventually open but not sure larger documents will open at all.

    What other methods can solve this problem. 

    Thanks.

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