# Some spreadsheet files have strange names on a client

**URL:** <https://help.nextcloud.com/t/some-spreadsheet-files-have-strange-names-on-a-client/251727>\
**Category:** ℹ️ Support\
**Tags:** nc34, hosting\
**Created:** [November 6, 2026, 11:48am UTC](https://help.nextcloud.com/t/some-spreadsheet-files-have-strange-names-on-a-client/251727 "2026-11-06T11:48:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bege](https://help.nextcloud.com/letter_avatar/bege/32/6_22734026db12803ebb3e059622ac3534.png) [@bege](https://help.nextcloud.com/u/bege)\
**Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 11:48am UTC](https://help.nextcloud.com/t/some-spreadsheet-files-have-strange-names-on-a-client/251727/1 "2026-11-06T11:48:13Z")

</div>

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Some or all of the below information will be requested if it isn’t supplied; for fastest response please provide as much as you can. ❤

## The Basics

- Nextcloud Server version _(e.g., 29.x.x)_:

- Operating system and version _(e.g., Ubuntu 24.04)_:

- Web server and version _(e.g, Apache 2.4.25)_:

- Reverse proxy and version \_(e.g. nginx 1.27.2)

- PHP version _(e.g, 8.3)_:

- Is this the first time you’ve seen this error? (Yes / No):

- When did this problem seem to first start?

- Installation method _(e.g. AlO, NCP, Bare Metal/Archive, etc.)_

- Are you using CloudfIare, mod\_security, or similar? _(Yes / No)_

- Client

### Summary of the issue you are facing:

Some spreadsheet files on a client computer have names like “.name.extension.~letters-digits-combinaton”  
The extension is ods or xlsx  
On the server the file names are normal “name.extension”  
The activities in the Nextcloud client show two entries per file. One says the file name is in the deny list (which is true with respect to the strange local file name), one says “Windows Error: 5: access denied” (translated from German)  
But I can open the files locally with LibreOffice and comparison with the respective file downloaded from the server shows they are exactly the same except the name.

### Steps to replicate it (hint: details matter!):

1. simply regular sync
2. 
3. 

### Log entries

#### Nextcloud

Please provide the log entries from your Nextcloud log that are generated during the time of problem (via the _Copy raw_ option from _Administration settings-\>Logging_ screen or from your `nextcloud.log` located in your data directory). Feel free to use a pastebin/gist service if necessary.

```auto
Doesn't contain any information about the files or warnings or errors.

```

#### Web Browser

If the problem is related to the Web interface, open your browser inspector _Console_ and _Network_ tabs while refreshing (reloading) and reproducing the problem. Provide any relevant output/errors here that appear.

```auto
PASTE

```

#### Web server / Reverse Proxy

The output of your Apache/nginx/system log in `/var/log/ ____ `:

```auto
? (managed nextcloud by Hetzner)

```

### Configuration

#### Nextcloud

The output of `occ config:list system` or similar is best, but, if not possible, the contents of your `config.php` file from `/path/to/nextcloud` is fine (make sure to remove any identifiable information!):

```auto
currently not possible

```

#### Apps

```auto
Enabled:
  - activity: 7.0.0
  - appstore: 1.0.0
  - bookmarks: 16.2.7
  - bruteforcesettings: 7.0.0
  - calendar: 6.6.5
  - cloud_federation_api: 1.18.0
  - comments: 1.24.0
  - contacts: 8.9.5
  - dashboard: 7.14.0
  - dav: 1.40.0
  - federatedfilesharing: 1.24.0
  - files: 2.6.0
  - files_accesscontrol: 5.0.1
  - files_automatedtagging: 5.0.1
  - files_downloadactivity: 1.18.1
  - files_downloadlimit: 5.2.0
  - files_linkeditor: 1.1.27
  - files_lock: 34.0.1
  - files_pdfviewer: 7.0.0
  - files_reminders: 1.7.0
  - files_sharing: 1.26.0
  - files_trashbin: 1.24.0
  - files_versions: 1.27.0
  - firstrunwizard: 7.0.0-dev.0
  - groupfolders: 22.0.6
  - lookup_server_connector: 1.22.0
  - nextcloud_announcements: 6.0.0
  - notes: 6.1.0
  - notifications: 7.0.0-dev.1
  - notify_push: 1.4.1
  - oauth2: 1.22.0
  - office: 1.0.0
  - password_policy: 6.0.0-dev.0
  - photos: 7.0.0
  - privacy: 6.0.0-dev.1
  - profile: 1.3.0
  - provisioning_api: 1.24.0
  - recommendations: 7.0.0
  - related_resources: 5.0.0-dev.0
  - serverinfo: 6.0.0
  - settings: 1.17.0
  - sharebymail: 1.24.0
  - support: 6.0.0
  - systemtags: 1.24.0
  - tasks: 0.18.1
  - text: 8.0.0
  - theming: 2.9.0
  - twofactor_backupcodes: 1.23.0
  - updatenotification: 1.24.0
  - viewer: 7.0.0-dev.0
  - workflowengine: 2.16.0
Disabled:
  - admin_audit: 1.24.0 (installed 1.23.0)
  - app_api: 34.0.0 (installed 5.0.2)
  - circles: 34.0.0 (installed 31.0.0)
  - contactsinteraction: 1.15.0 (installed 1.12.0)
  - emlviewer: 2.1.0 (installed 2.1.0)
  - encryption: 2.22.0
  - federation: 1.24.0 (installed 1.21.0)
  - files_archive: 1.3.1 (installed 1.3.1)
  - files_external: 1.26.0 (installed 1.23.0)
  - logreader: 7.0.0 (installed 4.0.0)
  - metadata: 0.24.0 (installed 0.24.0)
  - sharereview: 2.3.0 (installed 2.3.0)
  - survey_client: 6.0.0-dev.0 (installed 3.0.0)
  - suspicious_login: 12.0.0-dev.0
  - twofactor_nextcloud_notification: 8.0.0
  - twofactor_totp: 16.0.0 (installed 15.0.0)
  - user_ldap: 1.25.0
  - user_status: 1.14.0 (installed 1.13.0)
  - weather_status: 1.14.0 (installed 1.11.0)
  - webhook_listeners: 1.6.0 (installed 1.3.0)

```

### Tips for increasing the likelihood of a response

- Use the `preformatted text` formatting option in the editor for all log entries and configuration output.
- If screenshots are useful, feel free to include them.
  - If possible, also include key error output in text form so it can be searched for.

- Try to edit log output only minimally (if at all) so that it can be ran through analyzers / formatters by those trying to help you.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Mornsgrans](https://help.nextcloud.com/user_avatar/help.nextcloud.com/mornsgrans/32/40386_2.png) [@Mornsgrans](https://help.nextcloud.com/u/Mornsgrans)\
**Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 6:27pm UTC](https://help.nextcloud.com/t/some-spreadsheet-files-have-strange-names-on-a-client/251727/2 "2026-11-06T18:27:53Z")

</div>

These are temporary recover files by LibreOffice and will be deleted, if the spreadsheet-file becomes closed.  
On unexpected end of the program the files will remain and will be used after restart of the program to recover the last state.  
While the program is running the files are locked, so Windows block the access.

Works as designed (in the same was as Microsoft Office temporary files).

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bege](https://help.nextcloud.com/letter_avatar/bege/32/6_22734026db12803ebb3e059622ac3534.png) [@bege](https://help.nextcloud.com/u/bege)\
**Post date:** [November 6, 2026, 7:01pm UTC](https://help.nextcloud.com/t/some-spreadsheet-files-have-strange-names-on-a-client/251727/3 "2026-11-06T19:01:42Z")

</div>

Thank you for your answer. I just came back here because I found the reason.  
These were not the lock files that the office programs create. Those exist beside the original files. These files were on the client side in place of the original file on the server.  
On the server I saw that they had a lock manually set by another user on another client, probably unwillingly. So closing the file after working on it did not remove the lock. And it was not even possible to unlock the files as admin. The user who set the manual lock had to remove it.  
After the lock had been removed with the next sync the file names were correct on the client with the strange file names.