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How to Fix Word Saving as Temporary .~WRD Files on macOS Sequoia
Question details
Users need a solution for Microsoft Word creating temporary files instead of saving actual documents to an external drive on macOS Sequoia.
- Product
- Microsoft Word
- Device & OS
- macOS Sequoia
- Scenario
- Attempting to save a Word document to an external hard drive after updating to macOS Sequoia and the latest version of Microsoft 365.
- Observed behavior
- Microsoft Word saves documents as .~WRDxxxx temporary files, freezes during the 'Save As' process, and fails to preserve recent changes to the external drive.
Before making any changes to your external drive formats, ensure you have completely backed up all your important files to a different location, such as your Mac's internal drive or a cloud storage service, to prevent permanent data loss.
Reformat the External Drive to APFS
Reformatting your external hard drive from Mac OS Extended (Journaled) to Apple File System (APFS) aligns it with the Mac's internal drive format, resolving the saving conflict.
The temporary file issue often arises due to format compatibility problems between macOS Sequoia, Microsoft 365, and older drive formats like Mac OS Extended (Journaled). APFS is Apple's modern file system designed for newer macOS versions.
Manually copy all files from your external drive to your Mac's local storage (such as the Documents or Desktop folder) or another backup drive.
Go to Finder > Applications > Utilities, and double-click 'Disk Utility' to open the app.
In the left sidebar of Disk Utility, locate and click on your external hard drive.
Click the 'Erase' button located at the top toolbar. In the dialog box, name the drive, select 'APFS' from the Format dropdown menu, and click 'Erase'.
Workaround: Save Documents to the Local Drive First
If you cannot reformat your external drive immediately, use your Mac's internal drive as a secure workspace to avoid losing document edits.
Try WPS Office for Mac as a Stable Alternative
If Microsoft Word continues to freeze or create unreadable temporary files on your external drives, switch to WPS Office. It is a highly optimized, free office suite for macOS Sequoia that ensures smooth saving to any external drive while maintaining flawless compatibility with your existing Word documents.
- 1. Install WPS Office: Download and install the free WPS Office suite for Mac directly from the official website.
- 2. Open Your Document: Launch WPS Writer and open your existing .docx file directly from your external drive.
- 3. Edit and Save Successfully: Edit your document normally and hit save; WPS Office safely updates the file without generating .~WRD errors.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a .~WRD file on my Mac?
A .~WRD file is a temporary file Microsoft Word creates while you are editing or saving a document. Under normal circumstances, it is deleted automatically once the save process finishes. Software bugs or external drive format incompatibilities can interrupt this process, leaving the temporary file behind instead of the actual document.
Why is Word freezing when I click 'Save As' on macOS Sequoia?
The freezing issue is often caused by communication errors between Microsoft 365, macOS Sequoia, and certain external drive formats, specifically Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Reformatting the drive to APFS usually resolves the freezing.
Can I recover my changes if Word only saved a .~WRD file?
You can attempt recovery by duplicating the .~WRD file, changing its extension to .doc or .docx, and trying to open it. Alternatively, check Word's AutoRecovery folder located in your Mac's hidden Library folder for the latest automatically saved version of your document.
