The main cause of this error message is corrupted or incorrectly located temporary internet files. If this is the case, then MS Word will not be able to process them, and hence your documents will not be saved or opened.
To solve this issue, first, you can easily change the location of the temporary internet files to C:\Users(Your Username)\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache. Replace (Your Username) with the one you have on your PC. Secondly, users can repair corrupt files by running the SFC and CHKDSK scans. This also occurs when a user installs 64-bit Office and then uninstalls it to install the 32-bit version. Therefore, it is recommended to keep 64-bit MS Office on 64-bit Windows. That being said, there are a total of 8 fixes for this problem, and all of them guarantee the complete elimination of this error.
1. Run the SFC and CHKDSK scans.
The SFC command will conduct a thorough scan of your PC, searching for any corrupt or faulty files to repair or replace them. This process occurs automatically, so users simply need to execute the command. Similarly, the CHKDSK (Check Disk) command will scan your SSDs and hard drives to enhance their performance. Essentially, it will repair the bad sectors on the hard disks that might be causing the “Word could not create the work file” error. Here is how to run the SFC and CHKDSK scans:
2. Add a new environment variable.
Environment variables are specific values that play an important role in running any program. These variables store data used by these programs and determine how a process operates on your operating system. They are also responsible for locating the storage location for temporary files. Therefore, if there is something wrong with the environment variables, the document files will neither open nor save. In this case, you should add a new environment variable, and here is how to do that:
3. Create a temporary internet files folder.
The temporary internet files folder also serves as a cache folder, where temporary work files are stored while using Microsoft Word. If the folder goes missing by any chance, it is evident that Word will not be able to save the files, resulting in the “Word could not create the work file” error. Here’s how you can create a temporary Internet files folder:
Note: In this case, the Content.Word folder was already present. However, if it had not been, this command would have created a new one.
4. Change the location of temporary internet files.
Setting the correct location for the temporary internet files is necessary; otherwise, Word cannot locate them and will display the work file error. Fortunately, the steps for this method are pretty straightforward, as follows:
5. Increase the disk space for temporary Internet files.
Low disk space for temporary internet files is sometimes insufficient, causing MS Word to be unable to create the work files. To resolve this issue, users simply need to increase the disk space in the Internet Explorer settings. Go through the following steps for this method:
6. Disable the preview feature for Microsoft Word.
Disabling the preview for Microsoft Word requires you to delete a specific registry subkey from the registry editor. This will fix the ‘Word could not create the work file’ issue; however, make sure to back up your registry settings in case something goes wrong. Incorrect registry settings can lead to many problems. Anyway, here are the steps to disable the preview for MS Word:
7. Change the value data of MS Word in the registry.
If the value data of AppData or Cache has been modified in the registry or entered incorrectly, the work file error will occur. Its value should be set correctly in order for Microsoft Word to function normally. For this method, we will once again utilize the Registry Editor to make the changes as follows:
8. Re-register the Word files.
Executing this method will re-register the Word files and fix the issues related to them. Once the registration is done, you will be able to work with the Word documents without any issues. Secondly, this is not a time-consuming process and will only take a minute or two.
