Documents saved to my files are not saving

[all4pink]

When I save my work to 'my documents' using the blue save icon on the toolbar, I often go to open them and my last save is not there. This happens with a number of different pre-existing files. Fortunately I always back up to a USB drive and to skydrive, but it is annoying and concerning to me that my documents are not always saving using the blue save icon (or even with the autosave feature). Does anyone know why this is happening or how I can fix it? I am using Windows 7 with OO 3.4.1
Thanks.

[Hagar Delest]

If you save under another name, does it work?
This is rather strange. If you open the file from the recent files list, do you see your last edits?

[RoryOF]

Have your files got three letter extensions?

[acknak]

I think RoryOF has the right idea: try File > Save As and make sure that the "automatic file name extension" option is ON.

Note that your work will still be saved, it just may not show up in the usual places without the proper three letters at the end.

Less likely, I think, but another possibility: the "save" operation does not always use the "My Documents" folder.

First, if the document is not a new document, a "save" will go to the same folder where the document was opened originally. If you opened the document from a thumb drive or an email or from some other folder, the saved document won't be under "My Documents".

Second, if it is a new document, then "save" defaults to using whatever location is set under Tools > Options > OOo > Paths > "My Documents".

The folder location there may be set to "My Documents" but it could conceivably be set to something else.

If you want to see where OOo actually saved the document, do File > Properties > General and check the location shown there. Or, use File > Save As and look at the folder/location before you OK. You can always cancel out or change the save location from there.

[all4pink]

That is some interesting and useful information. Thank you to all. I will check the path and the file>properties>general next time I open a file and it didn't save. I always open them, or think I have opened them from the files in My Documents. So I assume that is where the tool bar save is saving them. Then I do 'save as' for my thumb drive and 'save as' for skydrive. Sometimes just to be sure I do an extra 'save as' to My Documents. But I must be doing something wrong. When I figure it out I will post.

Hagar, where is the 'recent files list' you were referring to?
RoryOF, the file extension is set to automatically save to .odt
Acknak, it hasn't been new files I have issues with, it's older files like my journal that I write in every day. And older journals that I am typing up. It does show 'My Documents' in the path. I think the files>properties>general think might be most helpful to see where it has opened from.

[Bill]

I recall a report of documents being saved in random locations, but was never able to reproduce that behavior. Try searching for the documents to see if that may be happening.

[Hagar Delest]

Hagar, where is the 'recent files list' you were referring to?

In AOO, menu File>Recent Files.

[all4pink]

Oh! Thank you Hagar Delest!!! I love that tip!!! It will be quicker for opening documents I'm working on!!

I noticed that after I have opened a document from My Documents, and 'save as' to my USB (G:) drive, and then click on file>properties, that it changes that property from C: to G: Is it supposed to do that? I would have thought it would have remained the property of the file I originally opened which was C: my documents.

I am trying to pay closer attention to what drive I am opening the document from. However, I still don't understand why, if I save to both drives, why I can open one and still be missing the last backed up files....still thinking and working to figure that out.

[Bill]

Oh! Thank you Hagar Delest!!! I love that tip!!! It will be quicker for opening documents I'm working on!!

I noticed that after I have opened a document from My Documents, and 'save as' to my USB (G:) drive, and then click on file>properties, that it changes that property from C: to G: Is it supposed to do that? I would have thought it would have remained the property of the file I originally opened which was C: my documents.

Yes, that's how it's supposed to work. When you "Save As", you're usually saving a new file, not the original file. The last saved file is what remains in memory. If you then click the Save icon on the toolbar, you'll be saving the edited new file, not the original file.

I am trying to pay closer attention to what drive I am opening the document from. However, I still don't understand why, if I save to both drives, why I can open one and still be missing the last backed up files....still thinking and working to figure that out.

If you open a file in My Documents and save a backup copy, then edit the file and click the Save icon, you will be overwriting the backup copy. You then have to use Save As to overwrite the original copy. If you don't use Save As to overwrite the original copy, your edits will appear on the backup copy but not on the original copy.

[all4pink]

Bill,
Thanks! That is great information. I will watch for that.