[Hint] How did I fix my ODT file

[robleyd]

If you upload the file, someone will see if it can be recovered.

[Forum] How to attach a document here Note maximum file size is 128K. If your file is larger, use a file sharing site such as Mediafire and post the link here.

[John_Ha]

Welcome to the forum.

See [Tutorial] Format error discovered in sub-document for instructions on repairing the file.

If you want someone to repair the file for you you will need to upload the original file before you sent it to the file converter to a fileshare site somewhere. The file conversion almost certainly truncated the file at the location of the first error and all content after the error will have been lost in the converted file.

Or see [Tutorial] How to find and un-delete AOO temporary files for

a) detailed instructions on how to recover your file as it was when you last opened or saved it, or as it was when it was last saved with AutoRecovery;

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

c) how to 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 and is probably your best hope.

[larryhpaterson]

{solved}

Hello smart people!
I tried to fix the file myself but I have no idea what I'm doing. If anyone with a better brain suited for this kind of problem could help I'd be grateful.

And to clarify...how do I stop this from happening again?

[RoryOF]

Try the attached.

Do not attach comments to extents of text.

[John_Ha]

how do I stop this from happening again?

These errors are thought to happen when a file is exchanged between AOO/LO and MS Word and changes are recorded. We believe, but are not certain, that MS Word corrupts the file. As the corruption seems to be associated with comments applied to a range of text do not use that feature.

See [Tutorial] Format error discovered in sub-document where your error was "office:name redefined".

[LordEos]

Hi everyone!
Long story short HDD packed in without any warning and took my .odt file with it, no backups unfortunately (I'm an idiot I know).
Ran Recuva and retrieved a .tmp file that matches my lost file in size but no clue what to do now - turned it to .zip no luck there, can't unzip it...turned it to .odt but it just shows wierd symbols or #####.
Can anyone here give it a spin and see if anything can be done? It's probably a lost cause but I'd be grateful either way.
Thanks.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1FdVjK30yQtL00QLhE5_PuoF66VrRKmIo
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1D6XUUVEmS_H1GBiLJrlrr-dSRsZYxh1d

[RoryOF]

If it won't unzip it may possibly be repaired by powerful tools, but may have only partial or more likely, no content/ If it opens and shows ### there is nothing to be done - experience tells us that there will be no usable content.

[RoryOF]

I got nothing usable from either file.

[LordEos]

Figured that might be the case. I appreciate the effort though, thank you

[mikeraker]

I have also tried all of the recommended fixes, but my computer wasn't saving backups (it will now), and none of the other fixes have worked. If anyone can help with this file, I would really appreciate it.
http://www.mediafire.com/file/yyq6y8f5m ... r.odt/file

Thanks!

[robleyd]

@mikeraker:
Your problem is a totally corrupted file; see if the recovery methods proposed in [Tutorial] How to find and un-delete AOO temporary files provide any help.

[RoryOF]

I confirm - file is totally corrupted. Nothing usable in it.

[mikeraker]

Thank you, David and Rory. I appreciate the effort.

[RoryOF]

You may have been over hasty after the close down of OpenOffice, not leaving sufficient time for the files to be flushed to disk from the internal buffering of the hard drive. The archive file that is an OO file is in this case corrupt, which suggests it was allowed insufficient time to write the disk before power off or closing laptop lid.

[mikeraker]

It looks like another file that I had worked on earlier on Saturday is also corrupt. None of the tactics mentioned in the posts works on this one either.
http://www.mediafire.com/file/hjlz27wjl ... 0.ods/file

Is this one totally corrupt too?
Thanks in advance.

[robleyd]

Sorry, yes; exactly the same symptoms where the file is full of null bytes.

[mikeraker]

I appreciate your looking at it.

[robleyd]

May I suggest you consider using the Time stamped backup extension?

[kobu]

Hi,

My son has spent a lot of time to write this story and now he could not be able to open the file. When he opens it coming up with all ###########.
This is his very first storybook and he is only 10 years old. I don't want to spoil his confidence. Please, someone helps me to recover this file.

Could you please anyone repairs this file for me?
Thanks

[robleyd]

I'm sorry but there is no recoverable data in that file.

Your best bet is to try the suggestions in [Tutorial] How to find and un-delete AOO temporary files - do this as soon as possible.

Also see [Tutorial] The Dreaded Pound Signs: file reduced to ####

[RoryOF]

I confirm robleyd's posting. The file is damaged with no content. Follow his advice for finding a deleted version.

This may happen because of over-hasty power off of the computer or closing a laptop lid before the internal buffers in the hard drive had written to disk.

It is little consolation to your son, but all writers will tell that the second writing of a story is often much better than the first.

[kobu]

Thanks, David.
I will try the tutorial tonight.

[kobu]

Thanks, Rory. I will convince my son saying that.
Thanks.

[KatBec]

I have tried as described (deleting the <office:automatic-styles> - but there was only one of those...) and it did not work. Is there anyone who could talk me through this still in 2019? The file contains quite a lot of work on my phd

[FJCC]

I recovered the attached file. Check it carefully!

[tazzy1981]

dear readers,

I have a big problem I really want to solve. My husband dies and left a few files behind I really want to be able to read. He made them in open office, but changed the extension so no one could open them. They contain really valuable information for me as the one left behind on how things happened the way they did.

Can anyone help me fix these files and maybe tell me how, so if I find more files I can reconstruct them myself?

Now all I see are UUUUUUUUUU all throughout the files.

Thank you so much for your time.

[RoryOF]

Even after internal inspection I got nothing from either of these files but the UUUU you report. Have they been moved from another computer? Is that computer still available?

[tazzy1981]

It has been moved, but the previous computer has crashed and we're still unable to get it going again.

[RoryOF]

It may be that the transfer from the other computer did not observe the correct protocols (usually USB removal protocols) and that the file is incomplete; or, it may also be that the crash on the older computer has damaged the file. It may be possible to remove the hard drive from the old computer and read it in another (usually a desktop) machine.

[tazzy1981]

I will try that. Thanks