Word 2007 - serious file permission error

[johnny_smooth]

Hi,

I have my doctoral thesis in a briefcase folder on my USB flashdrive. I tend
to access files from that location, work on them in Word 2007 (on Vista
Enterprise), and then save them. However, a serious file permission error has
developed that further testing has shown causes severe data loss.

1. The problem:

On trying to save a file last week I received the following error message.
(It has continued with files accessed from the briefcase since then):

"Check the drive to make sure the door is closed and it contains the correct
disk or cd."

Clicking 'ok' gives me this:

"Word failed reading from this file. Please restore the network connection
or replace the floppy disk and retry."

Here I get the option to 'retry' or 'cancel'. The first option does nothing,
meaning I have to press cancel, where I receive this:

"Word cannot complete the save due to a file permission error." I press
Ctrl+Alt+I and get the following error code - 200635. I then press 'ok',
giving me the following message:

"Word lost data due to a bad network connection or missing floppy."

After closing Word and attempting to restart no option was given to retrieve
the document, and what's more the original file was unbelievably wiped from
USB flashdrive without any warning! Thank God for backups!! I did manage to
find a temp file but it had only saved a few lines of recently made changes.
On other occasions the file has not been wiped, but attempting to load it
gives me the message that the file is already in use by another application
or user. The error number here is 200628.

2. Replicating the problem

I've found that I can successfully replicate this problem using dummy files.
I continually receive the above error messages when I try to save them to the
briefcase. A fewer number of times I receive the message, when I try to open
said files, that the file is in use by another user and application.

I've tried to replicate this problem on another vista/office 2007 machine
but was unsuccessful - the usb flashdrive and office worked without a problem.

3. Resolution?

I tried googling the problem without success. I checked microsoft KB and
this was useful except that the error codes it was assuming did not match the
ones above.

I don't know enough about networking, but I do wonder why I'm receiving an
network error when I'm using a USB flashdrive. Does Vista map the drive as if
it were a network one?

Is there any other way I can let report this problem to microsoft?

Any advice would be very gratefully received.

Many thanks

 

[Terry Farrell]

NEVER work directly with any type of removable media from Word. It is the
number 1 cause of document corruption. Always save to the local HDD and then
copy to the removable media.

 

[johnny_smooth]

Dear Terry,

Thanks for the general cautionary advice, though I was hoping for an
explanation as much as anything else. Is there any way of getting
to/undestanding the root of the problem?

 

[Terry Farrell]

When Word saves, it creates temp files in the target folder whilst it
assembles the final version of the document. The problems are many fold
starting with that rem drives are usually (comparatively slow), Word may
struggle to read and write simultaneously to the drive, there may be
insufficient room for both the doc file and the temp files and Word still
needs to see at least one of the temp files until the document is closed. It
is also possible that the rem drive is removed whilst data is being written
or Word is trying to delete the temp file and the FAT gets destroyed.

Terry

 

[fredfocus90]

Johnny

Is your usb flashrive formatted as FAT or NTFS? I had the same
problem and it seems to have disappeared now that I have reformatted
my flashrive (and memory cards) in the newer NTFS file format.

Hope this helps,

Jon