Help recovering corrupt calc file - using Recuva

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omega19
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Joined: Thu Dec 17, 2020 2:06 am

Help recovering corrupt calc file - using Recuva

Post by omega19 »

Hi all,

I've been searching the forum and have found some useful threads around this topic already, but haven't been able to solve my problem entirely.
I have a calc file (saved as .xls, which I'm now wishing I hadn't done) that calc cannot open. A "Text Import" dialog box comes up instead, and there doesn't appear to be anything in the file, so clearly it's having some issues. Yet I was using the file just fine yesterday. So after going through the forum, I decided to use Recuva to try to find and restore a previous version of my file. I have found a couple in ShadowCopy volumes, and have recovered those. But even those (which say they were last modified 1 month ago, almost 2 months ago) are having the same issue as the current version. Even found an old backup file in the form of filename.xls_0.ods, and that gives me a similar issue on opening, except it looks like this:
OOcalc_issue.JPG
I understand why the current corrupt file might be having problems, but any ideas why the previous versions of the file I am recovering aren't able to be opened either? Again, was just editing it yesterday with no issues.
Any other remedies I might try?

Using Windows 10. Thanks.
Open Office 4.1 on Windows 10
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Hagar Delest
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Re: Help recovering corrupt calc file - using Recuva

Post by Hagar Delest »

Hi and welcome to the forum!

Have you tried to rename the recovered file from .ods to .zip? What you see is the beginning of a zipped file (ODF is a zip container actually).
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RoryOF
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Re: Help recovering corrupt calc file - using Recuva

Post by RoryOF »

I recently had a problem caused by a brief power outage; all OpenOffice files would not open, including backups which I knew to be good. A complete restart of the computer solved the problem; I suggest, before doing anything else, that you completely restart the computer.
 Edit: The clue that the problem might be with the currently active OpenOffice was that the files that would not open had their earlier dates - i.e., they had not been altered. 
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John_Ha
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Re: Help recovering corrupt calc file - using Recuva

Post by John_Ha »

A file like fred.xls_0.ods is an AutoRecovery .ods file for fred.xls. See [Tutorial] How to find and un-delete AOO temporary files for an explanation.

Please upload a file showing the problem so that it can be analysed.

Press POSTREPLY and click the Upload attachment tab below where you type (128 kB max); or use a file share site, Dropbox or Google Drive for a larger file.

That being said, any AOO file with PK not in the first two character positions in the file is almost certainly corrupted.
Clipboard01.png
A valid .ods file viewed in a Hex editor
Attachments
Clipboard02.png
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.
omega19
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Joined: Thu Dec 17, 2020 2:06 am

Re: Help recovering corrupt calc file - using Recuva

Post by omega19 »

Thanks to everyone for the quick replies!

Tried the restart, and tried changing the recovery .ods to a .zip, but it said it "could not open as a .zip".

Per @John_Ha's suggestion, uploading the recovery file for analysis.

Thanks again
Attachments
TotalEarnings_2020.xls_0.ods
Recovery .ods found using Recuva (dated November 2020)
(32.74 KiB) Downloaded 182 times
Open Office 4.1 on Windows 10
John_Ha
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Re: Help recovering corrupt calc file - using Recuva

Post by John_Ha »

Your uploaded file is different from the file in the image in your earlier post.
 Edit: I didn't spot you were using UTF-8 and space as the separator - it is the same file. 
It is (almost) a classic full of #### file - see Why is my file full of #####?

That being said it has a few lines of proper zipped .ods at the bottom but not enough to recover anything.
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.
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