Apache OpenOffice Community Forum

I just upgraded to OpenOffice version 3.4.0. When I tried to open a document created in an earlier version of OpenOffice the document was completely garbled and I found ALL documents created in the earlier version are garbled. How can I recover and restore these documents? If there is no way to do that it will be a diaster.

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When you say garbled exactly what do you mean? Can you attach a sample file here? See http://user.services.openoffice.org/en/ ... =74&t=8289

Hi and thanks for your reply.

When I say garbled I mean scarmbled, with no discernible pattern, words, or anything recognizable from the original composition. I tried to attach one of the files but it would not send a wpd file.

Doug S

See: Problem opening WPD files in OpenOffice 3.4.

You didn't say they were wordperfect files. Libreoffice can open them http://www.libreoffice.org/download/

Sorry about that. I'm not yet used to working with this reply format. Here are the snapshots.

Well, I tried to attach the snapshot but I got a message saying the file is too big. Don't know what to try next.

If they are WordPerfect files, no need to upload screenshots, use zamzar.com to export them or use LibreOffice.

For the record, files are limited to 128kB. You need to crop your screenshot and if necessary reduce the colors depth (save in .png).

Properties shows them as OpenOffice.org 1.1 Text Document (.wpd)

Friday, June 29, 2012

The files may be the earlier StarOffice format rather than ODF. When you installed AOO did you select the option to install the filters for legacy formats?

Phil

Doug S wrote:Properties shows them as OpenOffice.org 1.1 Text Document (.wpd)

They are WordPerfect files. OpenOffice.org 3.3 and earlier could open them. AOO can't open them. LibreOffice can still open them.

PGAGA wrote:The files may be the earlier StarOffice format rather than ODF.

No. They are WordPerfect files. Pre ODF file type for text was .sxw.

Doug S wrote:Properties shows them as OpenOffice.org 1.1 Text Document (.wpd)

Your OS may have associated .wpd to OOo 1.1 in the past. This is no longer the case with AOO 3.4.

Well, how do I resolve this issue? I have hundreds of documents that I cannot open. If I uninstall AOO 3.4 will that solve the problem? Can I somehow re-install the earlier version of OpenOffice?

Install Libreoffice instead of AOO. An earlier version will also solve the problem.

Also, you can install side by side with AOO AbiWord: AFAIK, this word processor use the last version of libwpd. From AbiWord you can save your documents to odt.

So which one do you recommend I install, AbiWord or Libreoffice? Should I uninstall OpenOffice 3.4.0? Is an earlier version of OpenOffice available somewhere?

Gents, I really appreciate your help, let me tell you!

That's depends on your needs. Abiword is really lightweight: if you don't need fancy stuff with page styles and really complex formatting, it is a really good alternative. But you can install any of those programs side by side with AOO, no need to uninstall. Maybe windows will get a bit confused with file association, but nothing that a right click → open with cannot solve.

I'd be inclined to install an older version of OpenOffice and convert the files to the open document formats. Thereafter update to 3.4.1 at the end of July or thereabouts.

kingfisher wrote:I'd be inclined to install an older version of OpenOffice and convert the files to the open document formats. Thereafter update to 3.4.1 at the end of July or thereabouts.

+1. Remember you can do a batch conversion for several document at the same time with File → Wizards → File converter (or something like that... I do not have an English AOO at hand now).

I believe the file conversion is limited to MS Office Documents. At least it is in LO 3.5.4.2.

I checked to see which version of OpenOffice my documents were originally created with and it is 1.1 I then downloaded that version but there is no clear instructions on how to install it. Also, should I uninstall 3.4.0?

If your documents are Wordperfect files, OOo 1.1 will do no good. If they are really V1.1 files they would not have the .wpd extension. Can you attach a sample file here? See http://user.services.openoffice.org/en/ ... =74&t=8289 for instructions. File size is limited to 12KB. If yours are larger than this use www.mediafire.com and post the link here.
Apache V3.4 does not have any filters for Wordperfect files. I recommend Libreoffice V3.5 instead http://www.libreoffice.org/download/.

I tried to attach one of the problem files but got the message: "The extension wpd is not allowed". This document was created in OpenOffice and has not been converted by me to any other format. All of the documents that I cannot open and that were created in my earlier version of OpenOffice are like this.

June 30, 2012

Doug S wrote:This document was created in OpenOffice and has not been converted by me to any other format. All of the documents that I cannot open and that were created in my earlier version of OpenOffice are like this.

If the document was created with OOo 1.1.x then the problem may be the extension. This version of OOo could not save a document in WordPerfect format. In order to import one, you needed the StarOffice version.

Try opening your file by first selecting the file type option Open Office 1.0 text document. Then put *.wpd in the file name space so you can see the files. Then select a file and see if you can open it.

To have these legacy file formats you needed to have told AOO (or LO) to install the legacy formats).

Phil

Doug S wrote:I tried to attach one of the problem files but got the message: "The extension wpd is not allowed". This document was created in OpenOffice and has not been converted by me to any other format. All of the documents that I cannot open and that were created in my earlier version of OpenOffice are like this.

Post it at the link I gave you in my previous post. Then post that link here.

I have never used WordPerfect to create any of these files. They all were created in OpenOffice 1.1. When I open the link that you gave me it takes me to a cloud site. Don't have a clue as to what I should do there.

Doug S wrote:I checked to see which version of OpenOffice my documents were originally created with and it is 1.1

As far as I recall, OpenOffice.org was never able to save to WordPerfect file types (.wpd). It can only read WordPerfect files.

LibreOffice can read .wps files but can't save as .wps .

Doug S wrote:I have never used WordPerfect to create any of these files. They all were created in OpenOffice 1.1. When I open the link that you gave me it takes me to a cloud site. Don't have a clue as to what I should do there.

Hmmm looks like Mediafire has changed. Try http://www.filedropper.com/. Click on upload file to start. Browse to a file and click Open. After the upload completes you will get a link. Post it here.

OK I was able to open Filedropper and upload a file but don't know how to get it to you. That part wasn't clearly explained. Hope you can help. I still don't know whether I should uninstall OpenOffice 3.4.0. Also how to install OpenOffice 1.1 that I downloaded. Any suggestions?

Filedropper should have given you a link to the file. Copy that link and paste it here. You should have gotten something like this: