Office changing file names to numbers .tmp files and then the original name dissapears.

SOLUTION!!!

I found a solution! I discovered the fact that for some reason, Google Drive was syncing some of the same folders that my OneDrive was syncing. After I uninstalled Google Drive (which I don't need), the issue went away.

o365 that you had purchased?

How are you opening/creating docs?

Restart the PC, once fully loaded, repair Office,> Apps & Features>Select Office your version>Modify /Repair, once the repair completes re-test (Quick repair)

O365/Office when installed under a Win user admin account, and run from that admin account, auto logs in when the PC is started. There is no separate login for any component.

Win search for Word > Resulting shortcut > Rt click > Pin to task bar > start Word from that shortcut (hover mouse over the shortcut gives access to the 10 most recent docs)

Same for other core components.

Start eg Word open an old doc via recents/search

Rarely any need to access OneDrive itself.

Dear @Cary Paulk,

Thank you so much for contacting Microsoft Q&A Forum. 

Based on your descriptions, I can see where a file in Word, PowerPoint, or Excel suddenly changes its name to a string of numbers and becomes a .tmp or .temp file, is typically related to temporary file handling and sync conflicts, especially when OneDrive is involved. There are several reasons that may cause it: 

1.Temporary file creation: 

• Office apps create temporary files while you're working to autosave changes and prevent data loss. This is by design of the products. 
• These files often have names like ~WRLxxxx.tmp or a string of numbers and letters. 
• Normally, these temp files are deleted when the app closes properly. 

2.OneDrive sync conflict or delay: 

• If OneDrive is syncing the file while it's still open, or if there's a network issue, the original file might not update correctly. 
• Office may then switch to working on a temp version to avoid corrupting the original. 
• This temp file won’t be backed up to OneDrive, and if closed, it may disappear. 

3.File locking or permissions issue: 

If the file is opened from a shared location or synced folder and another process (like OneDrive or antivirus) locks it, Office might not be able to save changes to the original file. It then creates a temp file to continue working. 

Also, I haven't seen a detailed explanation that directly applies to Excel, but there is an old support article which describes how the temp files work in Word. You can take a look in here: 

Description of how Word creates temporary files - Microsoft Support 

In this case, I have tried to research and found several suggestions that you can try to see if they can help: 

1.Check OneDrive sync status: 

• Make sure OneDrive is running and syncing properly. 
• You should check for any sync errors in the OneDrive icon in the system tray. 
• This guide walks through how to identify and fix common sync issues: Fix OneDrive sync problems - Microsoft Support 
• Understand OneDrive icons: What do the OneDrive icons mean? - Microsoft Support 
• If OneDrive is not syncing properly, resetting it can help: Reset OneDrive - Microsoft Support 

2.Save files locally first: 

• Recommend saving the file locally (e.g., Desktop or Documents) and only moving it to OneDrive once editing is complete. 
• This avoids live sync conflicts. 

3.Update Office and OneDrive: 

• Ensure both Microsoft Office and OneDrive are fully updated. 
• Older versions may have bugs related to temp file handling. 

4.Disable Autosave temporarily to see if it can fix: 

• In Office apps, try turning off AutoSave if the file is stored in OneDrive and this issue keeps happening. 
• This can reduce sync-related temp file creation. 

5.You can try recover unsaved files if the temp file disappears, Office apps often allow recovery. You can consult in these articles: 

• Recover an earlier version of an Office file - Microsoft Support 
• Recover your Word files and documents - Microsoft Support 
• Recover your PowerPoint files - Microsoft Support 

Additional method: I also found an idea that you can check your Antivirus or backup software (if applicable): 

• Some antiviruses or backup tools may interfere with file access. 
• Temporarily disable them to test if the issue persists. 

As a Microsoft Q&A moderator, my role is to guide discussions and connect users with helpful resources. While I don’t have access to individual account or license information, I still try my best to support you using the resources available. So, if the issue still persists after trying my suggestions, I highly recommend that you can contact Microsoft Support for the efficient instructions of this case. They may be able to verify your issue and help you move forward with resolving it. You can contact them via here: Contact Us - Microsoft Support. There will be very professional people to tell you about the steps on how to realize this function. 

I hope for your understanding in this matter as I tried my best to support you, but I'm limited in my resources and moderator role. 

Wish you a pleasant day! 

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Not really. Everything is updated, and I've decided to use a different backup than OneDrive.

Thanks anyways.

I had the same issue and I also have Google Drive backing up the same folder as my OneDrive was syncing, but I want to keep Google Drive backing up the folder.

What can I do to fix it so that I can back up to both places without the files that I am editing getting moved to ../.tmp.driveupload/{4digits}.xlsx (e.g.5359.xlsx) and deleted?