Windows Update prevents file opening

[thomassteel]

Following a 2-hour Windows update session last evening (16 December 2017) the data in the two files I used this morning cannot be accessed. When I open one of them (a spreadsheet in Calc) the contents have been replaced by an OO Window headed Text Import & containing such headings as Import, Character Set, Separator Options & Fields. The other file is a text file in Writer & its contents have been replaced by a different OO Window. How can I get the two sets on contents back? Thomas Steel

[robleyd]

If those files were open when a reboot was forced by a Windows update the likelihood is the files have been corrupted; your description of the Text Import box supports this.

As soon as possible do the following:

Download Recuva (Windows only) or PhotoRec for Win, MacOS, Linux and other OSes (only one needed) and let it do an in-depth recovery of deleted files on your computer. You may get a file containing some or all of your data (or not). Do this as a first priority; other use of the computer may overwrite any existing but deleted files and prevent their recovery. There is no guarantee that you will recover anything useful.

More detail in [Tutorial] How to find and un-delete Writer temporary files - same applies to spreadsheet and writer files.