"Disk full"/"cannot save AutoRecover file" - redux

[hgws]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

Hello,

I have AutoRecovery selected to save automatically every 10 minutes. Lately (can't be more precise - I'd say the past month or so, since university started up again & I've been using Word more frequently) every 10 minutes I will get a series of dialog boxes:

"The disk is full trying to write to [HD name]. Free some space on this disk, or save the document on another disk.
Try one or more of the following:
* Close any unneeded documents, programs, and windows.
* Save the document on another disk."

Clicking "OK" results in another dialog:

"Word is unable to save the AutoRecover file in the location you have specified. Make sure that you have specified a valid location for AutoRecover files in Preferences, and that you have permission to write files to the location you have specified."

The messages puzzle me for the following reasons:

- I have an iMac with ~135GB free on the HD I am saving to, and generally about 1GB of RAM free at any given moment (as I have a total of 4GB RAM)

- The AutoRecover files are set to save to
HD:Users:meocuments:Microsoft User Data:Office 2008 AutoRecovery
(which seems a sensible place to put them)

- I have checked my permissions on that folder, & also run a Repair Permissions on my HD from Disk Utility. All seems fine & the problem remains.

As I started to formulate this question the following previous question was suggested to me:

<http://www.officeformac.com/ProductForums/Word/1320/0>

I can't see anything in that thread that definitively solves the problem. In particular, I don't want to run the AppleJack utility as I am not having this problem with any other applications (not even other Office programs) & it seems an extreme solution.

Anyone know if there is a definitive solution to this problem? Or should I just file a bug report? I'm pretty hooked on command-S so AutoRecovery isn't absolutely crucial to me, if I get so fed up with the repeated dialogs that I just switch it off altogether.

Thanks for your input,
Henry.

 

[John McGhie]

Hi Henry:

No, I do not think AppleJack will do anything for you. A reboot might clear
that (must be a power-off reboot).

Since your Command + S is working, that means you have write permission to
the document folder.

I would say there is a stranded Temp file somewhere that cannot be written
to, and that is the problem.

A power-off restart triggers some UNIX house-keeping that should clear that
problem.

I assume there has been no recent change to your network
configuration/network drives/demountable drives since you began working on
that document?

Hope this helps

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

Hello,

I have AutoRecovery selected to save automatically every 10 minutes. Lately
(can't be more precise - I'd say the past month or so, since university
started up again & I've been using Word more frequently) every 10 minutes I
will get a series of dialog boxes:

"The disk is full trying to write to [HD name]. Free some space on this disk,
or save the document on another disk.
Try one or more of the following:
* Close any unneeded documents, programs, and windows.
* Save the document on another disk."

Clicking "OK" results in another dialog:

"Word is unable to save the AutoRecover file in the location you have
specified. Make sure that you have specified a valid location for AutoRecover
files in Preferences, and that you have permission to write files to the
location you have specified."

The messages puzzle me for the following reasons:

- I have an iMac with ~135GB free on the HD I am saving to, and generally
about 1GB of RAM free at any given moment (as I have a total of 4GB RAM)

- The AutoRecover files are set to save to
HD:Users:meocuments:Microsoft User Data:Office 2008 AutoRecovery
(which seems a sensible place to put them)

- I have checked my permissions on that folder, & also run a Repair
Permissions on my HD from Disk Utility. All seems fine & the problem remains.

As I started to formulate this question the following previous question was
suggested to me:

<http://www.officeformac.com/ProductForums/Word/1320/0>

I can't see anything in that thread that definitively solves the problem. In
particular, I don't want to run the AppleJack utility as I am not having this
problem with any other applications (not even other Office programs) & it
seems an extreme solution.

Anyone know if there is a definitive solution to this problem? Or should I
just file a bug report? I'm pretty hooked on command-S so AutoRecovery isn't
absolutely crucial to me, if I get so fed up with the repeated dialogs that I
just switch it off altogether.

Thanks for your input,
Henry.

--

Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP, Word and Word:Mac
Nhulunbuy, NT, Australia. mailto:[email protected]

 

[hgws]

Hi John,

Thanks for the quick response. The shutdown & power off appears to have done the trick. I did not know about the necessity of powering off to fix gremlins - usually I only restart. (I leave my iMac powered on all the time & just sleep it when not in use.)

Cheers
Henry.

 

[John McGhie]

Thanks Henry:

It was a long shot... When you power-off, Unix releases ALL the files on
the system. When you "sleep" it still has most of them locked.

A power-off re-start fires a few housekeeping tasks, one of which is to
release all the file locks and clean out the Temp folder.

Cheers

Hi John,

Thanks for the quick response. The shutdown & power off appears to have done
the trick. I did not know about the necessity of powering off to fix gremlins
- usually I only restart. (I leave my iMac powered on all the time & just
sleep it when not in use.)

Cheers
Henry.

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP, Word and Word:Mac
Sydney, Australia. mailto:[email protected]

 

[DocJonby]

I have the same problem

Mac Model: iMac7,1
OSX: 10.5.4
Word 2008: 12.1.2
4GB RAM
500GB HD with 243.99GB free.

This error develops over time if I edit the same document for more than an hour or two. Neither restarting the machine or repairing permissions seems to have a lasting effect.

The AutoRecover entry in the 'File Locations' screen on the Word Preferences form is blank.

Cheers,

Jon

 

[CyberTaz]

If the suggestions to the OP don't work for you there must be a different
set of circumstances. Note, however, that the fix was to Shut Down, not
simply Restart. If that still doesn't resolve it...

To make sure the playing field is level you might first download the OS X
10.5.4 COMBO update, apply it [yes, I noticed you're at 10.5.4 ], then
repair permissions & see if things improve.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac