Microsoft fixes Word bug causing PDFs to save to hidden cache folders

Microsoft has addressed a bug in Microsoft Word where documents exported or saved as PDFs were being routed to incorrect locations with randomized filenames. The issue primarily affected users attempting to save files to SharePoint Online or network drives.

Instead of appearing in the user-specified folder, the generated PDFs were being silently saved to a hidden Windows temporary cache directory: C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache\Content.MSO. Additionally, the files were assigned random alphanumeric strings rather than the original document title.

Microsoft reported that the issue has been resolved via a service update deployed on September 25. Users who cannot immediately see the fix are advised to restart their Office applications. Missing files may potentially be recovered by manually searching the specific INetCache directory mentioned above.