What Is a ~$ File?
Word or Excel left a tiny ~$ file next to your document, or warns it's “locked for editing”. It is an owner/lock file. Here is what it does and how to clear a stale one.
What a ~$ file is
A file whose name starts with ~$ is a Microsoft Office owner file (also called a lock or temporary file). Word, Excel and PowerPoint create one the instant you open a document — for Report.docx the owner file is ~$Report.docx — in the same folder. It is tiny and normally hidden.
Why Office creates it
The owner file records the logon name of whoever opened the document. That is how Office knows the file is already in use and can show “locked for editing by …” if someone else tries to open it. When you close the document normally, Office deletes the ~$ file automatically.
“Locked for editing by another user”
If that message appears but no one else has the file open, a stale ~$ owner file was left behind after a crash, a force-quit, or a sync conflict. Your real document is unaffected.
Is it safe to delete?
Yes — when the document is closed. Close Word or Excel on every machine, show hidden files, and delete the leftover ~$<name>. Office creates a new one next time you open the document.
How to see and remove it
Windows: in File Explorer, View → Show → Hidden items, then delete the ~$ file. macOS: press Cmd+Shift+. to reveal hidden files in Finder.
Common problem
OneDrive, SharePoint or a network share can keep the owner file alive after an app crashes. Make sure no device still has the document open, then delete the ~$ file to clear the lock.
FAQ
What is a ~$ file?
It's a Microsoft Office owner/lock file created when you open a Word, Excel or PowerPoint document; it holds the name of whoever opened it.
Is it safe to delete a ~$ file?
Yes, once the document is closed everywhere. Deleting an orphaned ~$ file clears the 'locked for editing' message.
Why does Word say the file is locked when no one has it open?
A stale ~$ owner file was left after a crash. Close Office on all machines and delete the leftover ~$ file.
Where is the ~$ file located?
In the same folder as the document, named ~$ followed by part of the document's name, and hidden by default.
Does deleting a ~$ file lose my work?
No. The owner file stores no document content — only the logon name — so your document is safe.
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