'File does not exist'

[lsorsby]

A document that I use frequently and make changes on has disappeared. Yesterday it was open and I took a short break, came back and the up-to -date file was gone. The file is there with the correct name but it is the one I last saved on 7/9/17. I used the document and successfully saved it manually to the odt file extension numerous times since that date, including yesterday prior to my break and several times a day for the last five days. Also listed under recent documents is:
C:/Users/lsors/AppData/roaming/OpenOffice/4;/lock/Flower Sales Facebook-copy.odt
at first when I clicked on it I got a message that 'it does not exist', now it opens up with the following dialogue:
Loretta S*****,DESKTOP-SMJ6255/lsorsby56,DESKTOP-SMJ6255,22.07.2017 10:42,file:///C:/Users/lsors/AppData/Roaming/OpenOffice/4;
1) There is no file that appears to be deleted and in the recycle bin.
2) There are no other versions of my file listed.
3) Open Office opened a window stating it had crashed and the file needed to be recovered. It only opened the file from July 9, the earlier file that was already accessible
4) My recovery software does not find the up-to-date file, only one similar to the lock file above, this is identical to the file listed in recent documents that initially stated does not exists when I tried to open it in Open Office. Now this is the dialogue that opens when I click that filename in recent documents or the file I recovered and saved to another location.
4) I run Avast, which had a message my version had been updated and my computer needed to be restarted when I came back from my break, which I did before I discovered most of my Open Office file was missing. Then I ran an in depth scan that did not find anything.
5) I ran a more in depth Malware detector and it come up with a list related to Solvusoft.com which I quarantined.
Any ideas what happened to my file. I do not understand how Open Office crashing could wipe out everything on the file back to July 9, when it had been saved more than once and had opened numerous times updated until yesterday.


.

[Hagar Delest]

Weird indeed.
Had you activated the option "Always create a backup copy" in Tools>Options>Load/Save?
If so, it means that the backup file had not been updated at each of your manual save.
Does Windows 10 offer a previous version option of the file?

Do you confirm that the file was saved in your profile? That's rather strange.

[Bill]

The path "C:/Users/lsors/AppData/roaming/OpenOffice/4;/lock/Flower Sales Facebook-copy.odt " is not a valid path. This appears to be the path to the user profile, but there are no folders named "4;" and "lock" in the user profile path. Also, user documents should never be saved in the user profile. If that is the actual path that appears in the recent documents list and the computer restarted with the file and user profile open, then the user profile which contains the list of recent documents, backup files (if they exist) and autorecovery files may have been corrupted by the restart.

[edwards142]

Is there anyone who knows what to do when exactly the same error comes while opening an excel spreadsheet. My important data is saved in it and now it is not opening. Each time ehn I try to open it the a popup comes up to my screen that file doesn’t exist.

[John_Ha]

Each time when I try to open it a popup comes up to my screen that file doesn’t exist.

Did you mistype the file name or the filetype when saving it?

What does File > Recent documents ..., show?

Search the PC (In Windows, Start > type in the Search box which opens) with the file name, or with any word you know is in the document. This should find the file.

Or search for all files (search with *.*) and sort by date order (click the Date(s) column(s) to sort by date). This will find all recent files saved on the PC whatever names you used.

If all else fails, see [Tutorial] How to find and un-delete Writer temporary files for instructions on how to identify and un-delete the temporary files Writer wrote while you were editing the file, and then deleted. You should be able to recover your file as it was when you last opened it or as it was when it was last saved with AutoRecovery.

You may also find previous versions of the file in the folder it is located in, but which have since been deleted.

[John_Ha]

Any ideas what happened to my file. I do not understand how Open Office crashing could wipe out everything on the file back to July 9, when it had been saved more than once and had opened numerous times updated until yesterday.

That is correct - if the file had been saved, there is no way AOO can or will delete it. So, if you definitely saved the file before, it is merely a case of finding where you saved it and/or what you called it. You may have saved it somewhere else, or with a different filename or file qualifier. See my post above for what to do.

If you open an existing document, and make some edits, and shutdown your PC with the document still open, all those edits will be lost. When you open the file again, it will be as it was when you opened it and before you edited it. Never walk away from a PC without first saving anything you want to keep!

If you create a new document and add text and shutdown the PC with the document still open, everything will be lost.

4) I run Avast, which had a message my version had been updated and my computer needed to be restarted when I came back from my break, which I did before I discovered most of my Open Office file was missing.

It looks like you shutdown your PC with the file open. All edits were therefore lost and there is no hope of recovering them. But you should be able to get back the file as it was when you opened it for editing because AOO cannot affect that file (apart from the extremely unlikely condition where you manage to kill AOO while it is actually writing that file - if you manage that, the file is likely to be grossly corrupted).

[Lehner11]

I have just experienced this same issue, only it is with a file that I use for my passwords and update frequently. I had several files open in AOO today. This afternoon I came to look up a password and found that that file not only was no longer open, but didn't exist on my passport anymore. All of the other files remained open. I did have several copies of that file on my passport, but all have been deleted with the exception of on that is over a year old. That is the only one found. How can I find those missing files. If I can't, then I don't have access to any of my new passwords for the last year. =(

[Hagar Delest]

Have you checked the user profile for backups?
Did you notice other files that could have disappeared?

[John_Ha]

Your only hope is to see [Tutorial] How to find and un-delete Writer temporary files for
a) detailed instructions on how to recover your file as it was when you last opened or saved it, or as it was when it was last saved with AutoRecovery.
b) how to find previous versions of the file in the folder it is located in, but which have since been deleted.
c) how to un-delete the temporary files Writer wrote while you were editing the file, and then deleted. This will recover your file as it was when you last opened or you last saved it and is probably your best hope.

You will be MUCH better using a proper Password Manager like KeePass or Password Safe. KeePass can sync with Google Drive, other PCs and mobile phones and AutoType your username and password when you visit websites etc. You will never lose a password.

[Bill]

I have just experienced this same issue, only it is with a file that I use for my passwords and update frequently. I had several files open in AOO today. This afternoon I came to look up a password and found that that file not only was no longer open, but didn't exist on my passport anymore. All of the other files remained open. I did have several copies of that file on my passport, but all have been deleted with the exception of on that is over a year old. That is the only one found. How can I find those missing files. If I can't, then I don't have access to any of my new passwords for the last year. =(

This is the same problem already posted here:

File gone missing!

[Lehner11]

Thanks Bill, yes I did post that main topic question as well, to hopefully get more exposure if this thread wasn't visible. =)

[Hagar Delest]

Then I lock this one.