Loss of files

[neilT]

have used Open Office for a couple of years with no issues, then recently lost access to all my text and spreadsheets. All info is showing on Excel and Word.
Found the files earlier today, but they have disappeared again.

[FJCC]

Do you mean that the icon displayed for your files is a Word or Excel icon? If so, you just need to change which program Windows uses by default for the odt and ods file types. I am not on a Windows machine at the moment. I think the instructions on this page will help. You want to Choose default app by file type.

[neilT]

No. Files are all transferred to the relevant windows word / excel programs, for which the licence has expired some time ago, and are no longer accessible via open office.

[Bill]

No. Files are all transferred to the relevant windows word / excel programs, for which the licence has expired some time ago, and are no longer accessible via open office.

I suggest you Google the terms "file association" and "default program". You probably just need to change the setting so the files open with OpenOffice. The files have not been "transferred" or modified in any way. Instructions for changing the settings can be found on many Windows forums, blogs and You Tube.

[FJCC]

You can also open the files in OpenOffice by starting OpenOffice and using the menu File -> Open.

[neilT]

I start open office / menu / no files. Open word / excel and there they are. The files were available in December via open office, now they are not...

[robleyd]

What happens if you go to the menu and choose File | Open ? Do you see a list of files?

Can you see the files in your File Manager - Windows Explorer or File Explorer or however called?

[RoryOF]

Normally a report of "loss of files" means that the files are not shown on OO's /File /Recent Documents list, or that a file does not open in OO with a double click. If they do not open with a double click, this is often because a Windows update has reassigned their "File Association" to MS Office. This can simply be assigned back, using the link provided by FJCC earlier in this thread.

If the files do not show up in OO's /Files /Recent Documents this may be because the OO User Profile was damaged or lost, often due to an over-hasty close-down of the computer. However, the files should still be accessible by using OO''s /File /Open and navigating to the folder in which the files were stored. Once reopened, they should again show in /File /Recent Documents.

[John_Ha]

All info is showing on Excel and Word.

As Bill explains, this is another Windows 10 update problem where it applies Word icons to .doc (and other?) files. Search Help with file association or default programs and give AOO all its defaults.

Showing that a problem has been solved helps others searching so, if your problem is now solved, please view your first post in this thread and click the Edit button (top right in the post) and add [Solved] in front of the subject.

[Bill]

I start open office / menu / no files.

Do you mean File > Recent Documents > no files? If so, then your user profile may have been reset. The recent documents list is stored in the user profile. That's not a "loss of files". It's a "loss of the recent documents list".