~$ Problem to open Word File

[tobyreal]

For some reason some of my files change sometimes to where I can't open them anymore. 

Even when I try to bring them back from a back up I have the same problem opening them. 

Does somebody have an idea based on the errors in the screenshots which setting hast to be changed to view the files ? Since the same error occurs when I'm trying to open the same file from a back up, I'm assuming  the problem is within Microsoft  Word !?

( I'm using a Mac OS 12.2)

Wr

[#2]

Does it maybe have something to do with the coding ?
This is the Window that comes up when I'm trying to open the files that now all have a " ~$ "
in-front of the name ?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1a-wv6RgWI3cwQB10SRuIf1GTVVRhujsT/view?usp=sharing

[#3]

Hi,
Those are temporary files you can't open with Word.
Kind regards
Hans

[#4]

Hello @tobyreal.

To read the files: make a copy of the file and rename it without the special characters.

To fix the issue: I'd suggest to clean uninstall and reinstall of MS Office. Not repair, reinstall.

Hope this helps.

[#5]

@Lenka_Kerumova Renaming the file without the ~$ will NOT work.

Such files are "lock" files that Word creates when a document is open and if the document closes normally, they will be deleted.  Sometimes however they are left behind, but because they only have a file size of 1KB they do NOT contain the content of the document. 

[#6]

@Doug_Robbins_Word_MVP , correct. With the exception of corrupted files. Those are then much bigger. Those then DO contain some content. 

I could open only 1 picture pasted in the original post, so have there been examples of the 1KB files, then my post correctly does not provide any useful information.

[#7]

@Hans Le Roy How did those files change into temporary files ?

[#8]

I tried to make a copy and rename them but they still don't open.

[#9]

here are 2 of those files maybe somebody can tell me what's wrong with them or try to open them !?

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1VJfUDSbMeoSbIQ48R3Q4KoKmoRxsQBTw?usp=sharing

[#10]

A file with the the first two characters of the name of Word document replaced by ~$ is NOT your file. Rather, it is a "lock file" created by Word when a file is open, that contains just the name of the user who opened the file. When a document is closed, those files are deleted. However, if Word crashes, they may be left behind.

[#11]

@tobyreal The file ~$lver Camaro Sign - Personalized - No XM.docx contains just the name of the user who had the file open when that file, which is the "lock file" that is created when a Word document is opened, which in the case of that file was "Microsoft Office User"

When opened with a HexEditor, it reveals

Likewise, the Maintainance1.xlsx contains just

[#12]

Ok thank you for everybody on this thread ... so since we established here that these ~$ files are empty and duplicate files, I did some digging on my HD and found the original files with similar names without the ~$. So these files must be established by renaming the original files and remaining somewhere close in the same folders where the Original file is or was before.

[#13]

As advised, the files are not quite empty and nor should they be considered a duplicate of the actual document file. The ~$ files are created by Word when a document is opened and it the document is closed in the normal manner, they are deleted. They are NOT created by renaming the original file.

[#14]

Ah ok thank you for explaining that !