Where does Acrobat save Word docs it converts to PDF?

[rodm19487385]

I was collaborating with another on the nth version of a Word doc we were passing back and forth as an attachment in Outlook. I made some changes to the the doc and asked Acrobat to create a PDF before saving the document. A dialog popped up and asked me if I wanted to save the Word doc before creating the PDF. I said yes and it was saved. Now I can't find that saved Word doc anywhere. This also happens when I create a Binder file by combining pdfs--I can never find the Binder file later if I haven't saved it with a different name in a different place. I have dealt with that problem by always resaving the Binder files, but now I really need to find that Word doc. And don't tell me to just convert the PDF back into Word--that never works without errors. Thank you.

[ls_rbls]

What operating system are you suing?

[rodm19487385]

Using Win 10

[ls_rbls]

If you remember the filename, my best shot would be  to perform a search in file explorer starting in your C:\ drive.

The only reasoning behind this is to get a list of all possible temporary folders that it might've been saved to, or to actually hit where it is actually located in.

[rodm19487385]

I have the filename and I'm on a network and I have searched all of the drives I have access to, including C:\, no luck. Thanks.

[Dryne]

If you edited a Word document that was attached to an email, Outlook provides you an option to save the changes you made when you close the modified email.  This applies to older versions of Outlook.  Newer versions will prompt you for a file name and location when you decide to edit a Word document attachment in an email.  Outlook 2019 defaults to my Documents folder when I close a modified Word document.  However, older versions of Outlook will save the modification in Outlook's temporary location.  Older versions will also prompt you to save changes you made to the email.  If you click yes to the save question, your modified Word document will be in that email as an attachment.  If you did not click yes, your changes made to the Word document are most likely lost now.

[rodm19487385]

Dryne, I am running Outlook from Office 16, so it is pretty new, and I did respond "yes" to the save question. I know the filename but did not look to see the location it was saving to. I have checked the attachment to the email, it is not the newer version I edited. Thanks.

[Dryne]

Try opening Word with no document at all.  Under Word 2019, there is a Home option that shows me Recent documents.  You should see the saved one in this list.

I have Word 2016 installed on a VM.  Let me check if that has this same feature real quick.

EDIT:  Word 2016 is exactly the same.  It starts at the Home screen showing recent documents.  Check there.  If it was saved by you, you will see it there.

[rodm19487385]

I can see recent docs when I open Word, it is not in that list.

Thanks

[Dryne]

If it does not show under recent documents, it seems you did not save it as you thought.

[ls_rbls]

I'm curious if this could be worked around by disabling Data Execution Prevention for the type of file you're handling. 

I was just answering a different thread with this reply:

I don't think this is entirely related to whitelisting in Adobe Acrobat, this looks more like a security layer that has been added to prevent XML exploits..

 Microsoft implemented the XML in MS Word documents as the new standard but people in general continued saving files using the old .doc format for a MS Word file.  See here: https://www.howtogeek.com/304622/what-is-a-.docx-file-and-how-is-it-different-from-a-.doc-file-in-mi...

And the same goes for XLSM files  with macros enabled: https://fileinfo.com/extension/xlsm

Considering the info taken from the links above, does the same issue appears if the attachment was a MS Word document saved as .doc  instead of .docx ??

Possible work arounds is to disable Data Execution Prevention for the program that open those type of files OR for all programs and see how it works. 

See here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/threat-protection/microsoft-defender-atp/enable-ex...

and here:

•  https://www.stigviewer.com/stig/windows_10/2019-01-04/finding/V-77091

• https://docs.bmc.com/docs/TruesightOrchestration/81/configuring-dep-on-windows-computers-before-upgr...

• https://www.centricsit.com/fixit-changing-data-execution-prevention-dep-settings/

[rodm19487385]

Clearly all of that is hovering several stories above my head, and I am sure that what you have posted is potentially very useful for the future, but it doesn't look like it will help me find the file I have misplaced today. Thank you.

[ls_rbls]

Well, in that case the last reasonable "crap shoot" suggestion that I can think of, is to follow the logic explained in this thread: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/817878/attachments-remain-in-the-outlook-secure-temporary-f...

It looks like the original MS Word attachment could've been stored in a hidden directory or hidden temporary folder. 

[rodm19487385]

The gist of those suggestions is to unhide files and folders which I have always done, so the file I am looking for isn't in a hidden location because I never set my system to hide things from me.

It is looking like there isn't an answer to my problem. DOS would have never done this to me. Even XP never disappeared my files. 

Thanks to all, anyway.

[ls_rbls]

I feel your pain.

[Dov Isaacs]

Acrobat doesn't save the Word document file, it simply has Word save the file to wherever it is being edited from.

When collaborating via Outlook e-mail and attachments, you really should copy the Word (or Excel or PowerPoint or whatever else) to a separate directory, do you edits and saves there, and then when completed, attach the resultant Word document (and if appropriate PDF file) to the response e-mail before sending.

Typically, at least if you are dealing with Windows and Outlook, if you don't follow the above recommendation, the “saved” document is in some work directory where Outlook puts the attachment when you open it. Finding the document could be a real “crap shoot” – you may need to do a search of your disk for a file name matching the attachment's name but possible with a suffix such as  (1) or something similar.

             - Dov

[rodm19487385]

Thanks, Dov. I typically do save docs to a different folder but got caught up in the excitement of actually finishing this project and didn't do it this time.