Issue reading file

[ruzica_rakocevic]

Hello,

I am sending this message because I have a document that I cannot read. I wrote a paper, saved it, and when I opened that document in the morning it showed only the number sign for dozens of lines. There is no text in this document and that is true every time that I attempt to open it. When I attempt to open different versions of this document, I only see a pop-up asking me to select an ACII option. Does anyone know which option I can use to recover the text properly?

Also, I often get a pop up saying that a file is locked for editing. I'm unsure if this is related, but I get it that message often for a lot of different files. Those other files don't open for me at all.

THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TEXT.
I really need your help, I am lost without that text.
I expect to get assistance with this, please.

Thank you,

[robleyd]

I presume you don't have a backup of this file? The information you provide indicates this file is corrupted beyond recovery.

[Tutorial] The Dreaded Pound Signs: file reduced to #### provides a number of suggestions for attempting to recover something of your data. 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.

[John_Ha]

See [Tutorial] How to find and un-delete AOO temporary files for detailed instructions on how to

a) use Previous Versions (W7 and later) to recover previous versions of the file (is there something similar on MacOS and Linux?);

b) recover your file as it was when you last opened or saved it, or as it was when it was last saved with AutoRecovery;

c) find previous versions of the file in the folder it is located in, but which have since been deleted;

d) un-delete the temporary files AOO 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.

[RoryOF]

Frequent messages that your files are locked for editing, either by you or by an unknown user, and the worse situation of a file being shown as ##### characters and prompting for an ASCII filter, indicate that you have been closing OpenOffice and or your computer too hastily, before the internal housekeeping has been written to disk.

Experience shows that there will be nothing usable in your #### file; use the methods indicted by robleyd and John_Ha as soon as possible to try to recover earlier copies of your file.