When you try to open a document in Word, you may see the error message: “This file is not available” or “Word cannot open this file because it is not available.” This error usually appears when Word loses track of the file location or when the file is stored in a location that Word cannot read. Common causes include files opened from a temporary folder, files moved or renamed after they were last opened, or permissions issues with cloud-synced folders. This article explains why the error occurs and provides step-by-step fixes to recover access to your document.
Key Takeaways: Fix the “This File Is Not Available” Error in Word
- File > Open > Browse and navigate to the file manually: Forces Word to re-read the file path instead of using a cached location.
- Close Word and reopen the file from its original folder: Resolves temporary path mismatches caused by renaming or moving the file.
- Copy the file to a local drive before opening: Avoids permission and sync issues seen with OneDrive, SharePoint, or network drives.
Why Word Shows “This File Is Not Available”
Word stores a list of recently opened files and their last-known file paths. When you click a file in the Recent list, Word attempts to open it from that stored path. If the file was moved, renamed, or deleted after it was last opened, Word cannot find it and displays the “not available” error. The same error occurs when the file is stored on a network drive or cloud folder that is temporarily offline or has permission restrictions. Word also shows this message if the file is open in another program or if the file extension (.docx, .doc) is associated with a different application.
Common Scenarios That Trigger the Error
The error appears most often in these situations:
- You double-click a file in the Recent list that was on a USB drive now removed.
- You moved the file to a different folder but did not update the Recent list.
- The file is stored on a SharePoint or OneDrive folder that is not synced to your device.
- Another user renamed the file while it was shared in a team library.
- Windows File Explorer shows the file, but Word cannot read it because of a permissions conflict.
Steps to Resolve the “This File Is Not Available” Error
Try the fixes below in the order shown. Each method addresses a different root cause.
Method 1: Open the File Directly From Its Folder
- Close Word completely
Click File > Exit to close all open Word windows. This clears the cached file handle. - Navigate to the file in File Explorer
Press Ctrl+O in File Explorer or right-click the file and select Open with Word. Do not click the file from the Recent list. - Confirm the file extension
If the file does not have a .docx or .doc extension, add it. For example, rename “report” to “report.docx”.
Method 2: Use File > Open > Browse
- Open a blank Word document
Launch Word and click Blank document. - Go to File > Open > Browse
In the Open dialog, navigate to the folder where the file is stored. Select the file and click Open. - If the file is grayed out
Change the file type filter from All Word Documents to All Files (). This lets you select files with unusual extensions or permissions.
Method 3: Copy the File to a Local Drive
- Locate the file in File Explorer
Right-click the file and select Copy or press Ctrl+C. - Paste the file to your desktop or Documents folder
Press Ctrl+V. This removes any dependency on network or cloud sync. - Open the local copy in Word
Double-click the copied file or open it via File > Open > Browse. If it opens successfully, the original location had a permissions or sync issue.
Method 4: Repair the File Association
- Right-click the file in File Explorer
Select Open with > Choose another app. - Select Word from the list
Check Always use this app to open .docx files and click OK. - Test opening the file again
If the error persists, reopen the same dialog and select Word again to refresh the association.
Method 5: Clear the Recent Files List
- Go to File > Options > Advanced
Scroll down to the Display section. - Set Show this number of Recent Documents to 0
Click OK. This clears the cached file paths. - Reopen Word and set the value back to your preferred number
For example, set it to 25. Now try opening the file from its folder, not from the Recent list.
If Word Still Shows the Error After the Main Fixes
“This file is not available” when opening from OneDrive
OneDrive files marked as “online-only” may not be fully downloaded. Right-click the file in File Explorer and select Always keep on this device. Wait for the green check mark to appear, then open the file in Word.
“This file is not available” when opening from email attachments
Word cannot open a file directly from Outlook if the attachment is still in a temporary folder. Save the attachment to your desktop first. In Outlook, right-click the attachment and select Save As. Then open the saved file from File Explorer.
“This file is not available” after renaming the file
If you renamed the file while it was open in Word, the old path becomes invalid. Close Word, rename the file back to its original name, open it, then use File > Save As to create a new copy with the desired name.
Comparison: Opening Methods That Avoid the Error
| Item | Open via Recent List | Open via File > Open > Browse |
|---|---|---|
| File path source | Cached from last session | Manually selected each time |
| Works after file is moved | No | Yes, if you browse to new location |
| Works with offline files | No | Yes, if file is locally available |
| Permission check | Uses cached credentials | Re-evaluates at open time |
The “This file is not available” error is almost always caused by a broken path reference or a permissions gap. Using File > Open > Browse and selecting the file from its current location resolves the problem in most cases. If you work with files on OneDrive or SharePoint, set them to always be available offline to avoid future errors. As an advanced tip, press Ctrl+G in the Open dialog to jump directly to a folder path, bypassing the Recent list entirely.