Office Settings & Configuration

How to Hide or Stop Office from Creating ~$ Lock Files

Muhammad Talha Oct 1, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to know how to stop Microsoft Office applications from generating temporary lock and owner files that start with '~$', or how to effectively manage them.

How to Stop Office from Creating ~$ Lock and Owner Files

Product: Microsoft Office
Device & OS: Windows
Scenario: Opening and editing documents in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, especially on network drives.
Observed behavior: Temporary files beginning with '~$' appear in the directory where the document is saved and sometimes remain visible if the application closes unexpectedly.

Before you start

Ensure that all your active Office documents are saved and completely closed before attempting to clean up lingering temporary files, as deleting active lock files can cause document corruption.

Solution 1Recommended

Hide Temporary Lock Files in File Explorer

Since temporary lock files are necessary for Office to function properly and cannot be disabled natively, the best approach is to hide them from view so they do not clutter your folders.

Microsoft Office automatically generates these '~$' files to manage editing sessions, prevent simultaneous conflicting edits on network drives, and assist in file recovery. Because they are essential to Office's core functionality, they cannot normally be disabled.

Open File Explorer

Launch Windows File Explorer and navigate to the folder where your Word, Excel, or PowerPoint documents are stored.

Access the View Settings

Click on the 'View' tab located at the top menu ribbon of the File Explorer window.

Disable Hidden Items

Select 'Show' from the dropdown menu (or look directly at the Show/hide panel) and ensure the 'Hidden items' checkbox is cleared or unchecked.

Hide Temporary Lock Files in File Explorer

Automatic Cleanup: Office is designed to automatically delete these temporary files when you close the document normally. Hiding them simply keeps your workspace clean while they are temporarily active.

Solution 2

Consult Group Policy for Enterprise Network Environments

For users operating on managed network drives where file creation strictly needs to be restricted, consult with Windows Group Policy specialists.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Microsoft Office create files starting with ~$?

These are temporary lock or owner files. They are created automatically to lock the document so no one else can edit it simultaneously, and they store the name of the user currently modifying the file.

Can I safely delete ~$ temporary files?

Yes, but only if the main document is completely closed. If the document is currently open in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, deleting the temporary file can cause sync issues or file corruption.

Why are the ~$ files not disappearing after I close Word or Excel?

Normally, Office deletes these temporary files automatically upon closing the application. If they remain in your folder, it usually indicates that the program crashed, lost network connection, or closed unexpectedly before it could clean up.

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