I am denied access to certain word documents and I can't save new word documents

This is a very common and frustrating issue on macOS, especially after an update or when using an older Mac with newer software like Monterey. The problem almost always boils down to permissions – macOS is trying to protect your files and folders, but it's being a bit too aggressive and is blocking Microsoft Word from doing its job.

The error can manifest in two main ways:

1. You can't open existing documents because Word doesn't have permission to read them.
2. You can't save new documents because Word doesn't have permission to write to the folder you've chosen.

Let's go through the most effective solutions, starting with the most likely one.

Solution 1: Grant "Full Disk Access" to Microsoft Word

This is the most common and successful fix. You need to explicitly tell macOS that you trust Microsoft Word and want to grant it permission to access all your files.

1. Open System Settings (or System Preferences):
   • Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner of your screen.
     • Select System Settings... (on macOS Ventura/Sonoma) or System Preferences... (on macOS Monterey, like you have).
     1. Go to Security & Privacy:
        • In the System Preferences window, click on the Security & Privacy icon.
        1. Unlock to Make Changes:
           • Select the Privacy tab at the top.
             • Click the lock icon at the bottom-left corner.
               • Enter your Mac's password (or use Touch ID) to allow changes.
               1. Grant Full Disk Access:
                  • In the left-hand sidebar, scroll down and click on Full Disk Access.
                    • Click the plus (+) button below the list of apps on the right.
                      • A Finder window will open. Navigate to your Applications folder.
                        • Find Microsoft Word in the list, select it, and click Open.
                          • Microsoft Word will now appear in the list with a checkmark next to it.
                          1. Restart Microsoft Word:
                             • If Word is currently open, quit the application completely (right-click the icon in the Dock and select "Quit").
                               • Relaunch Word.

Now, try to open one of the problem documents and save a new one. This should resolve the issue for most users.

Solution 2: Check Folder Permissions

If Full Disk Access doesn't work, the specific folder you are trying to save to might have incorrect permissions.

1. Find the Folder: In Finder, navigate to the folder where you are trying to save or open files (e.g., your "Documents" folder).
2. Get Info: Right-click on the folder and select Get Info.
3. Check Permissions: At the very bottom of the "Get Info" window, you'll see a Sharing & Permissions section.
4. Ensure You Have "Read & Write" Access: Your user account (it should say "Me" next to it) must have "Read & Write" privileges.
5. Apply to Enclosed Items (If Necessary): If the permissions look correct but it's still not working, you can apply the permissions to all files and subfolders within. Click the three-dots icon or gear icon and select "Apply to enclosed items...". Be cautious with this on system-level folders, but it's generally safe for your personal folders like "Documents."

Solution 3: Reset the "Normal.dotm" Template

Sometimes, Word's default template file can become corrupted, leading to strange saving and opening behavior.

1. Quit Word Completely.
2. Open Finder.
3. From the menu bar at the top of the screen, click Go > Go to Folder....
4. Copy and paste this exact path into the box and press Enter: ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/User Content/Templates
5. You will see a file named Normal.dotm. Rename it to something like Normal.old.
6. Relaunch Word. It will automatically create a fresh, uncorrupted Normal.dotm file.

Start with Solution 1, as it is the most likely to fix your problem. If that doesn't work, proceed to the other solutions.This is a very common and frustrating issue on macOS, especially after an update or when using an older Mac with newer software like Monterey. The problem almost always boils down to permissions – macOS is trying to protect your files and folders, but it's being a bit too aggressive and is blocking Microsoft Word from doing its job.

The error can manifest in two main ways:

1. You can't open existing documents because Word doesn't have permission to read them.
2. You can't save new documents because Word doesn't have permission to write to the folder you've chosen.

Let's go through the most effective solutions, starting with the most likely one.

Solution 1: Grant "Full Disk Access" to Microsoft Word

This is the most common and successful fix. You need to explicitly tell macOS that you trust Microsoft Word and want to grant it permission to access all your files.

1. Open System Settings (or System Preferences):
   • Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner of your screen.
     • Select System Settings... (on macOS Ventura/Sonoma) or System Preferences... (on macOS Monterey, like you have).
     1. Go to Security & Privacy:
        • In the System Preferences window, click on the Security & Privacy icon.
        1. Unlock to Make Changes:
           • Select the Privacy tab at the top.
             • Click the lock icon at the bottom-left corner.
               • Enter your Mac's password (or use Touch ID) to allow changes.
               1. Grant Full Disk Access:
                  • In the left-hand sidebar, scroll down and click on Full Disk Access.
                    • Click the plus (+) button below the list of apps on the right.
                      • A Finder window will open. Navigate to your Applications folder.
                        • Find Microsoft Word in the list, select it, and click Open.
                          • Microsoft Word will now appear in the list with a checkmark next to it.
                          1. Restart Microsoft Word:
                             • If Word is currently open, quit the application completely (right-click the icon in the Dock and select "Quit").
                               • Relaunch Word.

Now, try to open one of the problem documents and save a new one. This should resolve the issue for most users.

Solution 2: Check Folder Permissions

If Full Disk Access doesn't work, the specific folder you are trying to save to might have incorrect permissions.

1. Find the Folder: In Finder, navigate to the folder where you are trying to save or open files (e.g., your "Documents" folder).
2. Get Info: Right-click on the folder and select Get Info.
3. Check Permissions: At the very bottom of the "Get Info" window, you'll see a Sharing & Permissions section.
4. Ensure You Have "Read & Write" Access: Your user account (it should say "Me" next to it) must have "Read & Write" privileges.
5. Apply to Enclosed Items (If Necessary): If the permissions look correct but it's still not working, you can apply the permissions to all files and subfolders within. Click the three-dots icon or gear icon and select "Apply to enclosed items...". Be cautious with this on system-level folders, but it's generally safe for your personal folders like "Documents."

Solution 3: Reset the "Normal.dotm" Template

Sometimes, Word's default template file can become corrupted, leading to strange saving and opening behavior.

1. Quit Word Completely.
2. Open Finder.
3. From the menu bar at the top of the screen, click Go > Go to Folder....
4. Copy and paste this exact path into the box and press Enter: ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/User Content/Templates
5. You will see a file named Normal.dotm. Rename it to something like Normal.old.
6. Relaunch Word. It will automatically create a fresh, uncorrupted Normal.dotm file.

Start with Solution 1, as it is the most likely to fix your problem. If that doesn't work, proceed to the other solutions.