Bug alert: How to prevent Microsoft 365 from unintentionally deleting Word documents

PSA: Microsoft 365 users who forget to save Word documents may accidentally delete them when selecting the program's prompt to save their work. Microsoft is investigating the issue, but remedies are simple for those who can't switch to alternate word processors.

Microsoft recently published an advisory for a glitch that causes Word for Microsoft 365 to accidentally delete files. The company is likely working on a patch, but users should exercise caution when closing the program.

If 365 subscribers close Word version 2409 without manually saving the file and instruct the software to save when prompted, the document is unintentionally sent to the recycle bin. This occurs if the file's title includes a # symbol or a file extension in all caps like DOCX or RTF.

Until an update resolves the issue, the simplest mitigation is to remember to manually save after each edit. Users who mistakenly encounter the problem can also restore the file from the recycle bin.

Furthermore, enabling "Don't show the Backstage when opening or saving files with keyboard shortcuts" in the options menu helps avoid the issue. The setting is under File > Options > Save.

The issue does not appear to affect non-subscription versions of Word, which recently received a major update as earlier versions were made available for significant discounts. Microsoft Office 2024 launched earlier this month at a $149 MSRP. The new version introduces improved pasting functions for Excel, an automatic proofreader for Outlook, live video feeds for PowerPoint, and more.

Meanwhile, a lifetime license for Office 2019 is available for $25, and the 2021 edition is just $35. Upgrading to the newer version adds a few extra features for Excel, expands PowerPoint's recording functionality, changes the user interface to match Windows 11, and guarantees a few extra years of official security updates. Microsoft plans to continue releasing standalone versions of Office.

Other lifetime license deals include Visual Studio Professional 2022 for $30 as well as Project 2021 Professional, Visio 2021 Professional, Windows 10 Pro, and 11 Pro for $18.

Additionally, a few non-Microsoft productivity alternatives are also worth trying. FreeOffice and LibreOffice offer similar functionality for free, function offline, and support multiple platforms, including Linux. Those who require an automatically cloud-synched option can use Google's or Apple's productivity suites in a web browser.