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laltobelliFlag for United States of America

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Word could not create the work file. Check the temp environment variable. For all new domain users

Hello,

The PC is on a Domain and whenever a new user logs in and opens Word (or Excel) this is the message they get:

Word could not create the work file. Check the temp environment variable.

I can fix the issue by applying changes to the registry following MS https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2285187

However this gets annoying because this is at a non-profit where a lot of people come and go.

A little history.  They purchased this as a Windows 7 Home PC.  It was upgraded to Windows 7 Pro (to connect to Domain) and then immediately upgraded to Windows 10 Pro.  I have 2 PCs doing the exact same thing.

What I find in the registry under the key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER \Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders

are the following entries:

Cache REG_EXPAND_SZ   C:\USER\OLD_USER\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache
Cookies REG_EXPAND_SZ   C:\USER\OLD_USER\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\INetCookies

The OLD_USER was created when the PC was first brought up in Win 7 Home.  This name is there whenever a new user logs in.

I can change the OLD_USER to the new Domain User and everything works.  However I have to do this whenever a new user logs in.

I know there have to a setting somewhere in the registry to correct this.

Anybody know where it is?

Thanks,

Larry
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Cris Hanna
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Have you considered group policy to set environmental variables?
I have doubt over "Windows 7 Home and Domain User. "

Further are the environmental variable set on the system correctly?

Sudeep
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sarabande
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Try this as Microsoft in embedding files from Internet explorer and Office together for some reasons.

This problem occurs because the Temporary Internet Files location for Internet Explorer is set to be an unexpected location. Specifically, the Temporary Internet Files location for Internet Explorer is set to be a location in which the user does not have permissions to create new temporary files.


To resolve this problem, change the Temporary Internet Files location for Internet Explorer. To do this, follow these steps:

1.On the Tools menu in Internet Explorer, click Internet Options to display the Internet Options dialog box.
2.In the Internet Options dialog box, click the General tab.
3.In the Browsing history section, click Settings to open the Temporary Internet Files and History Settings dialog box.
4.In the Temporary Internet Files and History Settings dialog box, click Move Folder to open the Browse for Folder dialog box.
5.In the Browse for Folder dialog box, select the following location:
For Windows Vista, for Windows 7, and for Windows Server 2008:
C:\Users\<user name>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows
For Windows XP and for earlier versions of Windows:
C:\Documents and Settings\<user name>\Local Setting
Note Whichever location you select, a folder that is called Temporary Internet Files is created. And if it is necessary, content is migrated to the new location.

6.Click OK to close the Browse for Folder dialog box.
7.Click OK to close the Temporary Internet Files and History Settings dialog box.
8.Click OK to close the Internet Options dialog box.
9.Restart the computer when you are prompted.

Some useful
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/822005
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/office/forum/word
http://www.tildemark.com/word-could-not-create-the-work-file-error/
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Turn-User-Account-Control-on-or-off
Avatar of laltobelli

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Let's start at the top.

Cris - I tried to create a Group Policy for the enviromental variables and it did not work, may be doing something wrong here.  (https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc772047(v=ws.11).aspx)

Sudeep - Th PC started out a Windows Home with OLD_USER.  Then it was upgraded to pro and joined to a domain.  The system variables TEMP amd TMP are correctly set to:  %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Temp

Sarabande - You got IT!
Searching through HKEY_USERS I came upon this upon this KEY:

HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-123456-XXXXX-XXXXXX-XXXXX-XXXX\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders\

There was a list of Multi-String Values all beginning with %USERPROFILE%, except for INETCACHE and INETCOOKIES.  These 2 Values were set to C:\Users\OLD_USER\....

Changed C:\Users\OLD_USER\ to %USERPROFILE%, rebooted and the issue resolved itself.

Thanks!

xtermie - I would have to do this for every new user who logs in, just what I am trying to avoid.
I did not change every occurrence of OLD_USER.   To your point, it may have created additional problems.  See my last post, I did a search until I found what looked odd.