OpenOffice crashes on Windows 10 again

Issues with installing under all versions of MS Windows
colinatt
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OpenOffice crashes on Windows 10 again

Post by colinatt »

HI all. I've been a daily user of OO for many years (I remember the last epidemic of Windows crashes) and now for the last week it's been happening again. Crashs with every attempt to edit or save. LibreOffice seems to work fine, though. Anyone else getting this - what's the way out. I've reinstalled OO from the current release, but to no avail. My Windows 10 64bit is fully updated.
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RoryOF
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Re: Open Office crashes on Windows 10 again

Post by RoryOF »

With one file only, or with all files?
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colinatt
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Re: Open Office crashes on Windows 10 again

Post by colinatt »

I only use Writer and Calc. Both crash.
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Re: Open Office crashes on Windows 10 again

Post by RoryOF »

I meant with one particular file or with all files of that type.
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colinatt
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Re: Open Office crashes on Windows 10 again

Post by colinatt »

All of my .odt .ods files.
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Hagar Delest
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Re: OpenOffice crashes on Windows 10 again

Post by Hagar Delest »

LibreOffice 7.6.2.1 on Xubuntu 23.10 and 7.6.4.1 portable on Windows 10
colinatt
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Re: OpenOffice crashes on Windows 10 again

Post by colinatt »

Yes, I changed my User to user.old, but this left me completely unable to open OO (even when I use Open with...). Renamed back to user, but OO still won't open. LibreOffice works as expected - does the fact that I have both at once cause this?
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Re: OpenOffice crashes on Windows 10 again

Post by robleyd »

Rhetorical question: Does nobody any longer open a program and then use it to open files?

If you have installed LO after installing AOO, LO will probably have reset file associations so it will open your ODF* files on double click.

Try something radical - start OpenOffice from the Start Menu; then you should be able to use File | Open to open your ODF* files.

* ODF - > Open Document Format, the file types used by AOO and LO
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Re: OpenOffice crashes on Windows 10 again

Post by John_Ha »

1. What precisely do you do and what precisely is the result?

2. What is the error message?

3. Has AOO got write privileges in Windows Defender?
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colinatt
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Re: OpenOffice crashes on Windows 10 again

Post by colinatt »

Thanks for the advice, friends. I normally open OO by double clicking the desktop icon. In the course of this problem I have opened it (or tried to) from the start menu, as recommended by robleyd. This morning I reinstalled Open Office, and now I can start the program, but when I open and try to edit a file (say by altering a spreadsheet value and saving it), the program immediately goes to 'Not responding'.

What I'll do next is to try uninstalling LibreOffice to see if that makes any difference. Yes Windows Defender gives me Full Control of the program. No error message, just 'Not responding'.
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Re: OpenOffice crashes on Windows 10 again

Post by John_Ha »

colinatt wrote:when I open and try to edit a file (say by altering a spreadsheet value and saving it), the program immediately goes to 'Not responding'.
colinatt wrote:Yes Windows Defender gives me Full Control of the program.
No. You need to ensure that Windows Defender gives full write privileges to AOO. Search the Writer forum for lots of posts about it.

And if that fixes it you could edit your Subject to Windows 10 update causes Windows Defender to prevent AOO working.

Showing that a problem has been solved helps others searching so, if your problem is now solved, please view your first post in this thread and click the Edit button (top right in the post) and add [Solved] in front of the subject.
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colinatt
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Re: OpenOffice crashes on Windows 10 again

Post by colinatt »

Thank you John, and others. I've tried all that's been suggested, but the programme is still unresponsive. I'm short of time to sort it out, and I have work that needs doing. So I'm going to reinstall and use LibreOffice until I can find time to sort out AOO. Thanks again, but unsolved.
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RoryOF
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Re: OpenOffice crashes on Windows 10 again

Post by RoryOF »

When you have time, try starting Windows in Safe mode, then run OO. Does that crash?
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colinatt
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Re: OpenOffice crashes on Windows 10 again

Post by colinatt »

I now understand the problem better, and it lies in the Windows domain rather than AOO. It seems that regardless of any Attributes changes to the Open Office folder, it always reverts to Read only as soon as I open it. I can't so far find any clear way of changing this behaviour, so I've resorted to a third party Attribute Changer program to try to make sure that the unwanted attribute is permanently switched off. Early tests seem to show that this is so far successful - but I need to be cautious about it in the next few days, while still trying to discover why Windows has taken over in this way.
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Hagar Delest
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Re: OpenOffice crashes on Windows 10 again

Post by Hagar Delest »

Do you have any security/cryptographic application?
On my corporate machine, I've some pics that revert periodically to read-only, don't know why.
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Re: OpenOffice crashes on Windows 10 again

Post by colinatt »

No, nothing cryptographic, just anti-malware.
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Re: OpenOffice crashes on Windows 10 again

Post by RoryOF »

Please try the Windows Safe mode option.
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Re: OpenOffice crashes on Windows 10 again

Post by Bill »

colinatt wrote:I now understand the problem better, and it lies in the Windows domain rather than AOO. It seems that regardless of any Attributes changes to the Open Office folder, it always reverts to Read only as soon as I open it. I can't so far find any clear way of changing this behaviour, so I've resorted to a third party Attribute Changer program to try to make sure that the unwanted attribute is permanently switched off. Early tests seem to show that this is so far successful - but I need to be cautious about it in the next few days, while still trying to discover why Windows has taken over in this way.
I doubt that the folder's read-only attribute has anything to do with the problem. The Read-only box on a folder's Properties dialog does not show the read-only status of the folder and it can not be used to change the read-only attribute of the folder. That box is only used to set or unset the read-only attribute for all files in the folder. Windows sets the read-only attribute on a folder as a flag to tell File Explorer that the folder is a special or customized folder which contains a Desktop.ini file. Otherwise the read-only attribute of a folder is ignored by Windows. Users should let Windows manage the attribute and not try to change it.
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Re: OpenOffice crashes on Windows 10 again

Post by John_Ha »

1 Download these two files and place them on your desktop
2 File > Open ..., and open them. Make a change.
3 File > Save.

What happens?
Attachments
text.odt
(11.71 KiB) Downloaded 619 times
calculation.ods
(14.07 KiB) Downloaded 643 times
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Remember: Always save your Writer files as .odt files. - see here for the many reasons why.
colinatt
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Re: OpenOffice crashes on Windows 10 again

Post by colinatt »

Hi John. What happens is I can reopen either of these saved (changed) files, but can't change and save again without getting the dreaded 'Not responding' again. Within the next 5-10 minutes, any AOO program will open, but after that, they won't. Again, no error message, just don't open unless I restart the computer. Most baffling. I should add that I today rewound Windows to it's January 5th state. I may need to take it back to an earlier restore point (if it will), or consider a reset of Windows to its start state, or take the easier option of abandoning AOO and using LibreOffice.
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Re: OpenOffice crashes on Windows 10 again

Post by John_Ha »

colinatt wrote:Hi John. What happens is I can reopen either of these saved (changed) files, but can't change and save again without getting the dreaded 'Not responding' again.
Can you please be very exact and precise in your description. Are you saying you did the following:

1 Open (say) text.odt.
2 Make changes to contents
3 Save text.odt
4 All the above is OK so far. You then
5 open the saved text.odt
6 Attempt to do a change - it is not possible
7 Attempt to save text.odt - get Not Responding.
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Re: OpenOffice crashes on Windows 10 again

Post by colinatt »

Yes, exactly that.
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RoryOF
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Re: OpenOffice crashes on Windows 10 again

Post by RoryOF »

Try this: with OpenOffice closed, start Task Manager (Ctrl Shift Esc) and kill all soffice processes shown in TM's tabs. Now try OO and see if t crashes,

It can sometimes happen that there is a left over OO process(es); usually this will stop OO responding, but I have met occasions where such processes caused problems with a running OO.
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Re: OpenOffice crashes on Windows 10 again

Post by John_Ha »

colinatt wrote:Yes, exactly that.
You now have me totally confused and I cannot think what may be happening :crazy:
AOO saved the file the first time so AOO is working properly and has access to writing to the disk. But it goes into a hang the next time you do it.

May I suggest something slightly different to Rory's suggestion which is to see if something happens during the first or second Saves.

1. Close AOO.
2. Open TaskManager. There should be no soffice.bin, soffice.exe or switer.exe processes.
3. Start Writer by Start > All Programs > OpenOffice > Writer. Look at TaskManager - you should now have one copy of each of soffice.bin, soffice.exe and switer.exe processes as here.
Clipboard01.png
4. File > Open ... Open text.odt. Make an edit. Watching TaskManager, go File > Save ..., and save it. TaskManager should be the same as before with one copy of each of soffice.bin, soffice.exe and switer.exe processes.
5. Watching TaskManager, go File > Open ... Open text.odt. Make an edit. File > Save ..., and save it. If it hangs, do you get another soffice.bin process? In normal operation you should still have only one copy of each of soffice.bin, soffice.exe and switer.exe.

NB. I assume Tools > Options > OpenOffice > General > Use OpenOffice dialogue boxes..., is not ticked.

Also, you are not having a crash - you are having a hang where AOO stops responding but is still there. In a crash, AOO completely disappears.
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See the Writer Guide, the Writer FAQ, the Writer Tutorials and Writer for students.

Remember: Always save your Writer files as .odt files. - see here for the many reasons why.
colinatt
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Re: OpenOffice crashes on Windows 10 again

Post by colinatt »

Hi John - Thanks for all this. I've followed your procedure a far as I can.
Step 1 Yes
Step 2 True
Step 3 Yes, I have these three files showing on Task Manager. My Task Manager screen is different to yours, but shows these files.
Step 4 I open text.odt and make an edit, but as soon as I try to save, the soofice.bin file goes straight awaay to Not responding. The Save is not effected and I can't do anything, even Close it, axcept End task with Task Manager.

If, after a few moments I open Writer again, I get the Windows Fille Recovery screen, and Windows generates what it is calling a crash report, although
I accept your correction to a hang. I should confirm that 'Use OpnOffice dialog boxes is not ticked.

I doubt whether anything looks any clearer now.

Colin
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Re: OpenOffice crashes on Windows 10 again

Post by John_Ha »

LO 6.4.4.2, Windows 10 Home 64 bit

See the Writer Guide, the Writer FAQ, the Writer Tutorials and Writer for students.

Remember: Always save your Writer files as .odt files. - see here for the many reasons why.
cb4m
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Re: OpenOffice crashes on Windows 10 again

Post by cb4m »

Hello Colin and all,

I have what looks like a very similar situation. For me it seems to have started a month or two ago. I think I have tried everything suggested, with no success. I thought I may have made progress uninstalling some W10 "updates", but more come through so quickly I find it impossible to keep up. Did you get to the bottom of this?
I have been using LO 7.0 as a workaround and for MS Office files that AOO struggles with, but I don't like as much so would prefer to find a fix.

Thanks,
Chris
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colinatt
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Re: OpenOffice crashes on Windows 10 again

Post by colinatt »

Hi Chris

No, I didn’t solve it. Finally I just gave up and went to LO 7.0 where I’ve stayed ever since.

Sorry to be no further help.
Colin
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Re: OpenOffice crashes on Windows 10 again

Post by cb4m »

Hi Colin,

Thanks for replying. I'll try and get back here if I ever find a fix.

Chris
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Re: OpenOffice crashes on Windows 10 again

Post by RoryOF »

Many of the experienced users on Forum have moved from Windows to their choice of Linux distro. This may not be your solution of choice.
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