"Backup of .wbk is open by another user" message when you save a document in Word 2003

When you try to save a Microsoft Office Word 2003 document, you may receive a message that is similar to the following:

This problem may occur if the previous modifier of the document saved the document and created a backup copy of the document when they saved. In Word 2003, a backup copy of the document is created when you save and the Always create backup copy option is turned on.

To turn on the Always create backup copy option, follow these steps:

1. Start Word 2003.
2. On the Tools menu, click Options.
3. On the Save tab, click to select the Always create backup copy check box.
4. Click OK to close the Options dialog box.

This problem was first fixed in a hotfix that is now contained in a service pack. If you installed the latest Microsoft Office 2003 service pack, you do not have to install the hotfix.

Service pack information

This problem is corrected in Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 1.

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Microsoft Office 2003. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Hotfix information

How to obtain the hotfix

This issue is fixed in the Word 2003 Hotfix Package that is dated March 1, 2004. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: After you install this hotfix, follow the steps that are listed in the "More Information" section of this article to set the ReleaseBackup registry key and to activate the hotfix.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section of this article.
This problem was first corrected in Office 2003 Service Pack 1.

To activate this hotfix, follow these steps:

1. Quit Word 2003.
2. Click Start, and then click Run.
3. In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
4. Locate, and then click to select the following registry key:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\10.0\Word\Options
5. After you select the key that is specified in step 4, point to New on the Edit menu, and then click DWORD Value.
6. Type ReleaseBackup, and then press ENTER.
7. Right-click ReleaseBackup, and then click Modify.
8. In the Value data box, type 1, and then click OK.
9. On the File menu, click Exit to quit Registry Editor.