Check the temp enviroment variable

[Landon]

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At first, when I was using the MS Office 2007 with SA then it was working fine, but all of a sudden it started to pop-up the some message very frequently that states "Outlook could not create the work file, check the temp environment variable". Can anyone tell me how do I solve this issue? Thanks.

[anshusehgal]

Follow the below steps and see if that helps you out:

1. First of all you have to right-click on My Computer and select Properties.
2. After that try to select the Advanced tab.
3. Now you have to select the Environment Variables button.
4. After that can you check the location of TEMP and TMP (probably c:\temp, or c:\windows\temp, or something).
5. Now you have to ensure that the setting exists, first of all, then check that there is such a location on your hard drive. After that you can try to clean out the files will clear up the issue.

[chrystoff]

I have see my TEMP and TMP location point to C:/TEMP. in there i have clean
all the data inside under safe mode. when i go back to normal mode, the
windows is working normal and healty but then the office 2007 still appear
the same message say check the TEMP variable.

I eventually solved it by correcting the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software
\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders\Cache registry key (I just pointed it to %USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files).

[JUSTICE]

The problem that you are facing can occur because the Data subkey in the Windows Registry is corrupted. Many of the Word settings that you customize when you click Options on the Tools menu are stored in the Data subkey. For more information, visit this website - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/302629/en-us

[Emily s]

I had the same problem and none of the scores of solutions already easily visible online were of any use. The same issue occurred using Office 2003 and Office 2007.

I eventually solved it by correcting the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software
\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders\Cache registry key (I just pointed it to %USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files).

This key was pointing to an old hard drive partition I removed many years ago. For some reason (recent security patch?) this key recently started taking precedence over the other registry entries and environment variables that have been mentioned in other potential solutions to this problem.

I have had the same problem with "Word could not create the work file check the temp environment variable." I am using MS Office 2007 with Windows Vista Home Premium on my HP Pavilion laptop. I get a similar error when I try to run MS Excel or MS Outlook. I am also unable to save any files. The problem does not exist if I have a jump drive connected to my computer when I try to run any of the Microsoft Office programs.

I made the changes to my HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders\Cache registry key to
%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files as suggested. It was pointing to my jump drive for some unknown reason. Everything seems to work OK now.

The last few days I have had a similar problem with my Outlook [following the purchase of new laptop and importing .pst files]. Thanks for tips and cured, as suggested with changes to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders\Cache\
%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files

It was actually pointing to G:WD sync and was probably a hangover from me using WD Passport to back up old laptop.

I have had the same problem. I have windows vista and have just got a new laptop. I open a word doc and this message comes up 'Word could not create the work file. check the temp environment variable'

I also have a Western Digital external hard disk. So I think this maybe one of the things that are causing the problem.

The only problem is that I am no good with computers. In order for me to fix it what would the first step.

as suggested to Check the registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software
\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders and look for
the Cache, Favourites, History and Cookies entries.

but I do not know how to do that...

Other suggestions say to do HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders\Cache\
%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files

If anyone can help within the next 24hrs ill be very grateful!

[unidentified]

This problem can be caused by incorrect registry values in the key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Explorer\User Shell Folders. So browse to the same key in the registry editor and on the right hand side check the value data for Cache. It might be %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files. If it is different, double click on Cache and type %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files under value data and click ok. Restart your computer and see if that solves the issue.

[alcoss]

I've been having the same problem, i.e whenever I open Word 2007 I get the message "Word could not create the work file, check the temp environment variable".
I am not very technically-minded unfortunately, so I find the previous advice on this thread difficult to follow.
How exactly do I check the registry key 'HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software
\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders' ?
I am not sure what that means!

(I use Windows Vista on a Vaio laptop)

For about three hours I was looking all over the net and I found a post by diben805 that led me here. I just bought Outlook 2007 and it was working fine...just the other day and added WD external drive...had to change the name from I to H so all my old programs would work. Then Outlook started showing the above error message...then I found your post and wa la presto it worked like a breeze, wish I would have found your post three hours ago.

what if the value that I copied and pasted does not show anything in start/run?

[Aftab Adeel]

It is so easy steps for fixing this issue. Just Open, Internet Explorer\Tool>Internet Options, in General>Settings. In section of Temporary Internet Files, Click on Setting. Click on "Move Folder" Change the location of temporary files as C:\WINDOWS\Temp\Temporary Internet Files, click Move Folder and change it to C:\WINDOWS\Temp\Temporary Internet Files. Then click OK and Apply

After these steps your PC may be restarted, if not please restart your computer. Open Microsoft Word the error will disappears.

[Sailor]

I had given an an other account on my PC the Window 2007 shortcuts. Powerpoint, Excel worked fine. Word not. At opening I got message to check 'temp variables'. As I temporarly gave this account adminstrator rights Internet Explorer corrected its Temporary Internet Files by itself, and Word works fine again.
I am able to use 'save as' etc.

[Rickm2222]

Hey Everyone

I hope this helps.

I am using 64 bit Windows 7 Ultimate/Spk1 with Office 2007 and recently had the same issue after trying to open a document from our Wordpress Blog Site. This message only pops up when trying to open the doc from the blog in Internet Explorer. Word works fine locally.

I tried changing the variable location and looked at the other suggestions I saw online to no avail. Then it dawned on me that I recently discovered that 64 bit Windows 7 has two versions of Internet Explorer. Yes, a 64 bit version and a regular 32 bit version.

If you click the Start button and then Programs you will see these two versions. When I discovered this I removed my regular IE shortcut and started using the 64 bit version for quicker browsing.

In my case this is the root cause of the problem. If I open the document from the regular 32 bit version of IE it opens without any errors.

This is not really a fix but a workaround. If you are using the 64 bit version of IE try using the regular IE to see if your error goes away.

Rick