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I saved my file in ODT format. When i click to open it this window appears
"ASCII Filter Options"
And then when the document opens its just a bunch of "####################################".

I really need to recover this document, its a final due in an hour!

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Ive noticed that there are two saved files. .~locked us history.odt and the us history.odt? any help would be appreciated!

chronicpenguins wrote:I saved my file in ODT format. When i click to open it this window appears
"ASCII Filter Options"
And then when the document opens its just a bunch of "####################################".

I really need to recover this document, its a final due in an hour!

There are many tales of woe similar to yours on this forum. See, for example, http://user.services.openoffice.org/en/ ... =6&t=17677

One user in this thread reported good results from using Recuva:

I had the same problem and couldn't locate any temporary files, and followed everything i found on google, including the rename to zip, temp files.... blah blah. The only thing that worked for me was using "recuva" a freeware undelete utlility by piriform and enabled "deep scan" . It found the same .odt file from the day before (in the same location as the newly fudged one) and successfully recovered it. no more pound signs.....

So (no guarantee that it will help!) visit this page, download Recuva Portable (second download link on the page) to an external memory device (i.e., flash memory / thumb drive). You may need to check "Save settings to .INI file" (or similar) during Recuva's installation. Then perform a deep scan to search for your lost file (this may take longer than an hour).

Good luck, and remember to back up early and often in the future!

this is the file if it helps, it wont let upload the one saved as .odt#. Ive been browsing the AppData/Roaming file location and theres a mysterious file called .lock that was credited. UGHH

chronicpenguins wrote:theres a mysterious file called .lock that was credited.

That's a standard lock file, nothing useful (nor strange) about that.

Have you checked your User Profile: [Tutorial] The OOo user profile. See the section on the backup folder. Slim chance but maybe there's something there.

It is not in the backup folder.

Sadly, nothing to do: 22 page term paper replaced with pound signs.

Check the temporary folder of the system (see in OOo Tools>Options>OOo>Paths). If there are folders like sgmlf.tmp with a file having the same name inside, make a copy of that file, rename it in .odt and cross your fingers.

Else, nothing to do I fear.

I know that if i dont save a file before shutting down, oOo will recover it. Is there a file where i can find it? Ive looked in all the data files

I have read the 22 pages term paper thread a ton of times. currently running recuva (30 minutes left).

If you've checked the profile and the temporary folder then I don't think you'll get anything else. Perhaps recuva will get something.

You say "oOo will recover it." Unfortunately, this is not guaranteed. OOo will _try_ to recover it; due to the laws of nature, the more you need the file recovered, the more it won't be recoverable. Check where Hagar pointed to for temporary files of roughly the correct time.

Check the temporary folder of the system (see in OOo Tools>Options>OOo>Paths). If there are folders like sgmlf.tmp with a file having the same name inside, make a copy of that file, rename it in .odt and cross your fingers.

Rename these to .odt and try to open them.

Recuva has the file as unrecoverable. That was my last hope. Time to restart ugh

There is one consolation - a second writing is usually much speedier, as the logic of the writing is all in one's mind, unless one has decided to utterly recast the project.