Corrupted ODT file shows hashtags instead of my data

[Shirayuki]

I went to take a short break from writing, and while I did, someone thought it'd be funny to turn off my computer. When I came back, AOO didn't load its normal Document Recovery window like it usually did when my computer shuts off randomly. When I went to go open my file, it was just page after page of hashtags. Can anyone help me?

A few things to note that may or may not be relevant:
1.) I didn't have the automatic backup setting set up on AOO before this, so I don't have any backups of this file.
2.) There is no temp file of this in the AOO pathway.
3.) I tried adding the file to a zip and extracting it, but it still didn't work.

Here is the corrupted file that I uploaded to Mediafire:
http://www.mediafire.com/file/629c6d2iw ... ead%29.odt
(I ask that if you can recover it, please do not read it. It's just a couple of prompts for a fandom I'm in, so it's nothing interesting.)

If any of you can help me, I'd be really grateful! If I can't fix this file, it would be a week's worth of work down the drain! ( ; ~ ; )

[RoryOF]

I could get nothing from it. Wait for a second opinion.

[John_Ha]

Your file is full of null characters and has no user data.

If the PC was switched off you should still have the temporary file in C:\Users\xxxxxx\AppData\Local\Temp\.

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.

[Shirayuki]

Your file is full of null characters and has no user data.

If the PC was switched off you should still have the temporary file in C:\Users\xxxxxx\AppData\Local\Temp\.

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.

I tried this method and it didn't find and temporary files of that corrupted file. It only showed a lot of temporary files from other documents I've saved.

Thanks for trying to help me, nonetheless. It was greatly appreciated.

[John_Ha]

If you started a new document and added text and the PC was powered off, then nothing would have been saved unless you had AutoSave set to ON, and an AutoSave had taken place.

If you opened an existing document you should be able to find its temporary file which contains the document as opened.

[Shirayuki]

If you started a new document and added text and the PC was powered off, then nothing would have been saved unless you had AutoSave set to ON, and an AutoSave had taken place.

If you opened an existing document you should be able to find its temporary file which contains the document as opened.

I have autosave on but still couldn't find it. I'm not sure what to do now.

[John_Ha]

I have autosave on but still couldn't find it. I'm not sure what to do now.

See the tutorial which says:

If you were editing fred.odt, look in C:\Users\xxxxxx\AppData\Roaming\OpenOffice\4\user\backup for fred.odt_0.odt. This is the file as it was when it was last saved by AutoRecovery.

Otherwise, there is nothing for it but to start again ...

[robleyd]

To minimise the possibility of loss in future, you might consider the Timestamped backup extension.