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Help: Text all replaced with ###

Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 6:11 pm
by tireland
Hi all,
all the characters in my OpenOffice-writer document has turned to hash characters.

This work is important to me - it’s a day’s work of writing up my PhD.

I would be happy to email the file to anyone who thinks they could help.

Is this a bug in OOo writer? I have found a number of threads on this but it seems no solution.

I hoped there would be a back-up or earlier saved temp file - i know i saved it a few times before this happened but i don't know where to look.
The post [http://user.services.openoffice.org/en/ ... =7&t=41992] suggests
"Check also the temporary folder of the system (see in OOo Tools>Options>OOo>Paths). If there are folders like sgmlf.tmp with a file having the same name inside, make a copy of that file, rename it in .odt and cross your fingers." but i can't find any such folders through window 7 starter.

Any help would be very appreciated.

ps: I did post this also as a response to previous thread on same issue: http://user.services.openoffice.org/en/ ... 87#p198987
hope not confusing - just desperate to get my work back - thanks

Re: Text all replaced with ###

Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 6:15 pm
by Hagar Delest
First locate where is the temporary folder (Tools>Options>OOo>Paths, it should be called Temporary files). Then open your Windows Explorer and go to that folder (it may be hidden by default, so change the Windows setting if necessary).

Have also a look at: [Solved] Recovering document (pages are blank after crash).

Good luck.
If it doesn't work, nothing to do. I hope you had backups on USB sticks or in your mailbox, ...

NB: please don't multi-post!

Re: HELP: Text all replaced with ###

Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 7:42 pm
by tireland
thanks for the quick response.

I can find no "temporary folder" - maybe its a w7 thing? ....i have searched for 'Tools', 'Options', 'OOo', 'Paths', 'temporary' and 'temp' and find nothing.

the file in question is 41K in file size, so there must be information in there.

i've checked the thread link you noted and will try to find some software compatible with windows. Given the file size do you think its possible to recover the text correctly or am i on a highway to nowhere?

Re: HELP: Text all replaced with ###

Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 7:58 pm
by thomasjk
Hagar is referring to the exact location of the temp folder. In Writer got to Tools-->Options-->Openoffice.or-->Paths-->Temporary Files. On my Win 7 system the path is C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\temp. Use Windows explorer to navigate there.

Re: Help: Text all replaced with ###

Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 9:52 pm
by tireland
Oh, i see. Sorry.

But i can't access the file?!
I can see the file path doing as you say in OOo-writer but I can't find the file AppData on my machine through windows - and so can't get into local>temp to see if anything is there!!!

Could this be because my operating system is windows 7 starter?

Don't understand what i am doing wrong?!?!?!?!?

Any ideas please?

Re: Help: Text all replaced with ###

Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 10:29 pm
by Hagar Delest

Re: Help: Text all replaced with ###

Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 11:24 pm
by tireland
Thanks again.

but this is ridiculous - the folder appears empty.
using piriform recuva I find a dozen or so files with the same name and file path but seem unrecovarable
I am very fed up! OOo is not worth this trouble!

Re: Help: Text all replaced with ###

Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 11:42 pm
by Bill
You can find the local temp folder by clicking the Start button on the Desktop and typing %temp% in the Search box.
tireland wrote:Thanks again.

but this is ridiculous - the folder appears empty.
What folder?
tireland wrote:using piriform recuva I find a dozen or so files with the same name and file path but seem unrecovarable
I am very fed up! OOo is not worth this trouble!
Did you see fi Windows 7 can restore a previous version of the file? I don't know if that feature is enabled in the Starter edition.

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