File Corruption & Recovery

How to Recover Word Documents Renamed as .~WRD Temporary Files

Muhammad Talha Oct 10, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user needs to recover a Microsoft Word document that has disappeared and been replaced by a temporary file starting with .~WRD on an external hard drive.

How to Recover Word Documents Renamed as .~WRD Temporary Files

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: Mac
Scenario: Saving a Microsoft Word document directly to an external hard drive or flash drive.
Observed behavior: The original Word document goes missing during the save process and is replaced by a visible temporary work file named with the .~WRD prefix.

Before you start

Do not attempt to open, modify, or manually change the file extension of the .~WRD temporary file, as this is not a complete document and tampering with it may prevent successful recovery.

Solution 1Recommended

Restore the Original Document Using Time Machine Backup

Since the .~WRD file is an incomplete temporary work file, the most reliable way to recover your document is to restore the last saved version using your Mac's Time Machine backup.

When saving a file, Word creates a temporary file, writes the data to it, deletes the original, and then renames the temporary file. If this process is interrupted on an external drive, it leaves behind the .~WRD file. You must rely on a backup to retrieve the actual document.

Connect your backup drive

Ensure the external hard drive that contains your macOS Time Machine backups is securely connected to your computer.

Navigate to the file location

Open Finder and browse to the specific folder on your external drive where the missing Word document was originally saved.

Enter Time Machine

Click the Time Machine icon in your Mac's top menu bar and select "Enter Time Machine" from the dropdown menu.

Locate and restore the file

Use the arrows or timeline on the right side of the screen to go back in time to a date when the Word document was still intact. Select the document and click the "Restore" button.

Restore the Original Document Using Time Machine Backup

Recovery Tip: If you do not use Time Machine, check if you have other cloud backups enabled (such as OneDrive or iCloud) where a previous version of the document might be stored.

Solution 2

Prevent Future Data Loss by Editing Locally

To avoid save-process interruptions and orphaned .~WRD files, always edit your documents on your local hard drive and use external drives strictly for backup storage.

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Avoid File Saving Errors with WPS Office

If you frequently experience missing Word documents or annoying .~WRD temporary files when saving to external drives, consider switching to WPS Office. It is a highly stable, lightweight alternative that handles file saving reliably and minimizes data loss risks.

1. Download the software: Visit the official WPS website and download the free installation package for your operating system.
2. Install WPS Office: Run the downloaded installer and follow the simple on-screen instructions to set up the suite on your computer.
3. Edit files reliably: Launch WPS Writer and open your existing Word documents to enjoy a stable, error-free editing and saving experience.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Word formats, seamlessly opening and saving .doc and .docx files.Built-in intelligent Auto-Backup features protect your progress against unexpected interruptions or drive disconnections.Lightweight architecture ensures fast performance without lagging or freezing on both Mac and Windows.Completely free to use with a clean, intuitive, and familiar interface that requires zero learning curve.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly is a .~WRD file?

A .~WRD file is a temporary system work file created automatically by Microsoft Word during the document saving process. It acts as a temporary holding space for data before the original file is overwritten, and is not a functional, readable document.

Can I just rename the .~WRD file to .docx to open it?

No. Simply changing the file extension from .~WRD to .docx will not restore the original document. The temporary file lacks the complete formatting structure and header data required to be read as a standard Word document.

Why did my original Word document disappear from my external drive?

During a normal save, Word writes your new changes to a temporary file, deletes the original document, and finally renames the temporary file to match the original name. If your external drive connection drops or slows down during this split-second process, the original file is deleted but the temporary file fails to rename, leaving you with only the .~WRD file.

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