[Solved] Unable to save file due to write error

Issues with installing under all versions of MS Windows
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skye7w
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[Solved] Unable to save file due to write error

Post by skye7w »

I searched forum w/o success. I can't save files regardless of destination specified. Error msg: "(Shows path) filename.odt does not exist" Hit Enter. followed by same popup. Hit enter. Followed by: "Error saving the document (File name) Write Error. This file could not be written". I deleted the program, upgraded to version 4.1.5 and am having the same problem. Help!
Last edited by Hagar Delest on Sun Apr 15, 2018 10:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: tagged [Solved].
OpenOffice 4.1.5 on Windows 8.1
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RoryOF
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Re: unable to save file due to write error

Post by RoryOF »

If you use the Save As window to navigate to your desktop, can you Save there? Also, have you space on your hard drive? What size is it and how much free space does it have?
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John_Ha
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Re: Unable to save file due to write error

Post by John_Ha »

Check your Windows Defender settings and allow OpenOffice to write to your disk.
LO 6.4.4.2, Windows 10 Home 64 bit

See the Writer Guide, the Writer FAQ, the Writer Tutorials and Writer for students.

Remember: Always save your Writer files as .odt files. - see here for the many reasons why.
Bill
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Re: Unable to save file due to write error

Post by Bill »

skye7w wrote:I searched forum w/o success. I can't save files regardless of destination specified. Error msg: "(Shows path) filename.odt does not exist" Hit Enter. followed by same popup. Hit enter. Followed by: "Error saving the document (File name) Write Error. This file could not be written". I deleted the program, upgraded to version 4.1.5 and am having the same problem. Help!
More information is needed. Which program are you using? What file format are you using? What did you do that produced the error message? Is this a new problem that just started or have you never been able to save files? Have you changed to a different computer? Have you updated your operating system recently? Have you tried restarting the computer?
AOO 4.1.14 on Ubuntu MATE 22.04
skye7w
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Re: Unable to save file due to write error

Post by skye7w »

I was using the Open Office Writer, .odt as checked in the preferences (I've made no changes to the program). What did I do? I choose "save as" and named the file and hit enter. I had this problem when I tried to use 4.1.4, deleted the program and d/l and installed 4.1.5, immidiately put some words on a page and tried to save it. No dice. I'm using Windows 8.1 and not have upgraded for 3 years. I used this program successfully on another computer years ago But this is a new d/l. Yes, of course, I restarted the computer, deleted and re d/l the program. And Windows Defender is not on (in response to the suggestion above).
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RoryOF
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Re: Unable to save file due to write error

Post by RoryOF »

If, in /File /Save As, you navigate to your desktop, can you save a file there? If so, this suggests a permissions problem in the other directories in which you try to save.
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Bill
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Re: Unable to save file due to write error

Post by Bill »

This is one of those problems that seems to affect some users repeatedly but doesn't ever affect others. There is a bug report with a long discussion about this happening because temporary files used by OpenOffice have been removed. See if anything there helps. I haven't been able to read through the complete report yet.

Issue 63875 - Unabilaty to save a document ('unable to write') because of removed temporary files.
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Hagar Delest
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Re: Unable to save file due to write error

Post by Hagar Delest »

Create a /Temp folder somewhere in My documents for example, where you're sure that no application will try to delete files by its own. Then set the Temporary Files folder path in AOO to this folder (Tools>Option>OpenOffice>Paths). Restart AOO and try if it's better.
If so, then you have to investigate what application deletes the temporary files in the legacy temporary folder (usually \AppData\Local\Temp in Windows).
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Villeroy
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Re: Unable to save file due to write error

Post by Villeroy »

I have one of these spreadsheet files. The document broke (program crashed when removing any sheet), I restored it from backup, the restored version can not be saved nor saved-as. When I copy the file to somewhere else, that copy can't be saved by the application (LibreOfifce 5, 6, OpenOffice4 on Linux, will test Windows later).
I can't post that file because it is highly confidential and I can't remove the confidential info for obvious reasons.
Please, edit this topic's initial post and add "[Solved]" to the subject line if your problem has been solved.
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skye7w
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Re: Unable to save file due to write error

Post by skye7w »

RoryOF wrote:If, in /File /Save As, you navigate to your desktop, can you save a file there? If so, this suggests a permissions problem in the other directories in which you try to save.
Yes!!!! THANK YOU/1111 I'll save my files in a folder there until I can study this permission thing more. I really didn't want to have to buy the Microsoft product. ;)
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John_Ha
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Re: Unable to save file due to write error

Post by John_Ha »

Bill wrote:There is a bug report with a long discussion about this happening because temporary files used by OpenOffice have been removed. See if anything there helps. I haven't been able to read through the complete report yet.

Issue 63875 - Unabilaty to save a document ('unable to write') because of removed temporary files.
Bill

That seems to be "working as designed" rather than a bug. When you oper a .odt file Writer creates the temporary files as a copy of the "as-opened" .odt file. If you do a Save, Writer first updates the temporary file, and then [presumably?] copies the temporary file as the final, saved .odt file.

So if anything prevents access to the temporary file folder Writer will be unable to save.

A simple test would be to use Tools > Options > OpenOffice > Paths ..., to set the Temporary files path to a folder on a USB memory stick. Open a .odt file for editing. Remove the USB stick. Writer now no longer has access to the temporary files or folder.
LO 6.4.4.2, Windows 10 Home 64 bit

See the Writer Guide, the Writer FAQ, the Writer Tutorials and Writer for students.

Remember: Always save your Writer files as .odt files. - see here for the many reasons why.
Davidgaller
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Re: [Solved] Unable to save file due to write error

Post by Davidgaller »

I would suggest to try "Long Path Tool" program which is free to download.
OpenOffice 3.1 on Windows 7
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