ODT file crashed, need help immediately

[hollie]

Had a very important document to file in an US appellate court yesterday. I am represented in pro se in an criminal case where the government claims I was over asseted as a disabled recipient by counting the price of a dirt lot in which I have a fractional interest in. I missed the filing deadline because my computer crashed (as it oftens does because of a disconnect with the battery and the hardware) which caused my openoffice 30 page document to also crash. It did not survive the recovery window following. I tried to pull a copy from the back up file in my user file but my computer crashed 7 more times. I ultimately copied the backup draft to my desktop. I have tried to open it but it wont open. Took it to an expert yesterday who was able to open it for a moment. When he opened it it came up with 10 pages of pound signs all over it. I downloaded a new copy of open office to see if that would work. Now the document wont open and I keep getting an ASCI window. If I push read only or copy, it does nothing and then I cant open any odt files. Please help, I need to retrieve that file which took me more than three weeks to prepare and research. I can provide my number if anyone can call and help me retrieve this very important file. I am old and completely computer illiterate. PLS RSVP ASAP THX

[RoryOF]

Previous experience tells that your file will be utterly corrupt. Try the methods in this post, as soon as possible, in the hope of recovering part or all of it.

As soon as possible try the methods in this tutorial

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.

There will be nothing usable in your damaged file - waste no time with it. Try the recovery methods above.

Unfortunately, these procedures have to be carried out on your computer; no one on Forum can do them.

[hollie]

I only had one working copy of this file. I caused it the be saved every one minute. My computer crashed yesterday and when the computer reopened the recovery window appeared but would not recover the document. The version all of this was done under was the new version 4.1.7. I cant even open the document to do anthing with it because of the ASCI window

[hollie]

When I open the properties box it reports no previous versions

[hollie]

you wrote: 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.
How do I get to temprary files and do this?

[John_Ha]

hollie

See Why is my file full of #####?

The file is completely corrupted and there is no user data left in it. Your only hope is to follow the steps in the tutorial - click on Rory's link. If necessary ask someone with good computer skills to help you.

[hollie]

As soon as I get back to my computer in 3 hours I will do so and let you know the results. THX