[Solved] Input/Output error message

[blackbean1]

I have a XLS file I have updated using OpenOffice Calc for several years. Then today when I tried to access it, I received a box with big red X and General Error, General Input/Output error message. Is there a way to find out what the problem is with this file? I have been using OO 4.1.3 and updated it to 4.1.5 and don't have problems with any other files. Thanks.

[robleyd]

Do you have Windows Defender running? If so, the solution suggested in this post may help you.

[blackbean1]

Windows Defender is "OFF" on my computer.

[RoryOF]

Have you sufficient free space on the hard drive? Also, at system level copy the file, rename the copy to type .zip and see if it will open with the system archiver. If not, it is damaged.

[blackbean1]

Got plenty of free space. I copied the file to .zip and tried to open but didn't work. I copied my backup file which I saved in Nov. and I know was good and it would not open either. got same error message. IN/OUt error.

[blackbean1]

When I try to open the file with Open Office it puts another file called ".~lock.......xls" right above the file I'm trying to open and then that Input/Output error box pops up.

I took the OO file and went to my old computer that has MS Excel97 on it and the file opened fine, no problem. there's something else wrong here.

[RoryOF]

To prevent multiple accesses to an open file, OpenOffice generates such a lock file. This will be deleted when OpenOffice is closed. If it remains _after_ OpenOffice is closed, then that may be because OO has at some time been improperly closed, or there has been a computer crash. Such lock files may be deleted _only_ when OpenOffice is closed; their deletion may solve the Input/Output error.

[keme]

As a test, you could try to open it using Microsoft Excel viewer. That program is 32-bit, so you won't be able to view really huge Excel files, but I guess Calc won't be able to save Excel files either when you are approaching the size limit. At least you can see whether your data is easily accessible.

With some luck, you can even copy from the viewer and paste into a new workbook. Formulas may be broken, but this should help you anyway if most of the content is manually entered data.

Working with Excel files in Calc means that every time you open the file, some of the formatting will be converted to styles because that is the only way to handle certain types of formatting in Calc (e.g. for conditional formats). Conversely, every time you save, some of the styles (or parts of the styles) will be saved outside of style definitions because Excel styles do not support all kinds of formatting. With multiple saves and reloads, this can lead to a huge number of styles present in the file. (I have seen relatively simple files, single sheet with a data table and minimal formatting, with close to one thousand separate styles defined.)

[blackbean1]

thanks KEME, the file I'm trying to open is 132KB so it is not large at all. I use it a couple of times a month over the past 5-6 yrs. I don't have Excel on my current computer I'll have to go the old computer and try that. The .~lock file does go away when I close OO. But when I try to open the file again it still gets the I/O error.

[Bill]

Windows Defender is "OFF" on my computer.

If you've installed other software to replace Windows Defender, maybe the problem is with that software. This wouldn't be the first time that third-party software has caused problems accessing files.

[keme]

...
I don't have Excel on my current computer I'll have to go the old computer and try that.
...

You probably don't need Excel. Follow the link I posted to download Microsoft's viewer for Excel files. The viewer is free, but doesn't allow editing (you can view onscreen and print, and if my memory serves me right you can also copy from the file).

[blackbean1]

I copied the file from my old computer after updating it in Excel 97 and then downloaded it to a flashdrive. I copied the updated file to my current computer and then I was able to access the file with the latest version of Open Office. Still not sure why I was getting the I/O error. I did download Viewer but just never used it. Thanks for all the suggestions.

[RoryOF]

Can you navigate to your desktop using the navigation in /File /Save As. There Save a trial file; you should always have rights to save to your desktop. If that works, then suspect you don't have rights to save in your previous location. Also, use only standard (not accented) characters in the file and path names.