Microsoft confirms Word bug that sends PDFs to a random folder instead of SharePoint

Microsoft has confirmed a bug in Word for Windows that sends PDF files to an entirely different location, with a random name, when a user saves them to SharePoint Online. The document never reaches the intended SharePoint folder, and Word reports no error at all.

What actually happens

The problem appears after a user updates to version 2609 of Word. When a document is saved as a PDF to a SharePoint Online location, the file instead lands in C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache\Content.MSO under a randomly generated filename. Because the save operation looks successful, users get no obvious signal that the document went to the wrong place.

What Microsoft says

According to Microsoft, "The issue only occurs when using Save/Save As, choosing the PDF file type, and selecting a SharePoint location." The company points to two workarounds: use the Export option, or save the PDF somewhere other than SharePoint. The Register asked Microsoft whether a fix is in progress and when it might arrive, but the company had not responded at the time of publication. Some affected users have reported that rolling back the update resolves the problem.

Another fault in a difficult month

The PDF glitch is the latest in a run of defects affecting Microsoft's productivity and operating system products. A paste problem in Excel has also been reported, and a seemingly minor Microsoft 365 update inadvertently deactivated Office 2016 and 2019. Microsoft has also admitted that it accidentally deleted some customers' Microsoft 365 data before their retention period had expired.

September's Windows update proved especially troublesome: the bugs it introduced were severe enough that Microsoft shipped an out-of-band update. That update brought difficulties of its own, including lingering audio problems and issues on domain-joined devices. Microsoft also acknowledged that customers using File History might be unable to create or update backups. The backup fault was fixed in the September 22 preview update for Windows, while the other problems remained open.