Apache OpenOffice Community Forum

I have searched all over this forum and can not find a solution to my specific problem for OO on a windows computer, which seems to also be a problem for Macs and does seem to have one.

I am using a Windows 10 computer and was using version 4.1.1 just fine. After I updated to version 4.1.3 recently, ALL of my password protected files can no longer be opened. This is certainly NOT anything to do with the files being corrupted and absolutely a problem with the new version, because I have numerous backups on separate media and NONE of the these files can backed up either. I also save all of my files from OO in a .doc format so I can open and send them to others that do not have access to a program that can. None of these files can be opened either. In all situations it says the file can not be opened because the password is incorrect and I am certain I didn't forget any password, much less ALL of them.

Here are the solutions I have already tried, with the other research I've found;

I've created a new .zip file and tried to open files within and they are all encrypted characters which from what I read, means the file isn't corrupted if I can open the .zip and protected by a password, hence the encrypted files that can't be altered because they are encrypted.

I've tried to open it with LibreOffice as was recommended by the other threads I read and none of them can be opened. I have tried every program that can open it and none can.

I've downloaded older versions of OpenOffice even reverting back to version 4.1.1 that wasn't giving me any problems and what I don't understand it it to will not open them, even any of the ones on backup media. Again, this leads me to believe it has nothing to do with the files being corrupted.

I've also read replies to other threads in regards to similar problems, that there is absolutely no solution to this problem and I screwed but I have no idea how reliable that is since there is also so much misinformation out there.

I'm desperate for a solution because all of the files I need to open has VERY important information, obviously so important that I backed it up numerous times and not even that prevented this. If anyone can provide a solution or point me in a direction to find a solution, please do. Please do not suggest something unless you absolutely know it works because there is already hundreds of suggestions and none of them work or you need to be a computer programmer to try them. I am not very tech savy, so if a solution can't be completed by anyone, please provide very details steps to perform it and only if it won't screw things up more.

Thanks

Is there one encrypted file which does not have sensitive/confidential content, which you could upload here? (Attach to a reply.)

Without that, there is really no way to devise a certain solution, and even with it we can't be sure that one solution will always work. As you have already found (from the responses you have had before), there are many ways a file may be corrupted, by faulty encryption or otherwise. Please help us to narrow down the possibilities.

One point: passwords are case sensitive. Are you certain you are entering the password letters in the correct case? Is the Caps Lock or Shift key depressed or stuck down?

Pending any other solution, I would suggest deleting the OO user profile and removing OO 4.1.3 using Revo Uninstaller at its most aggressive. Then reboot the computer and reinstall OO 4.1.1

You should remove the OO user profile, as a reinstallation does not generate a fresh copy of this.

RoryOF wrote:One point: passwords are case sensitive. Are you certain you are entering the password letters in the correct case? Is the Caps Lock or Shift key depressed or stuck down?

There is no way I am mistyping all the passwords the numerous times I have attempted to open the numerous files. NOT 100% of the time. I also have my caps lock permanently disabled for this reason and because its the most unnecessary key on the board.

RoryOF wrote:Pending any other solution, I would suggest deleting the OO user profile and removing OO 4.1.3 using Revo Uninstaller at its most aggressive. Then reboot the computer and reinstall OO 4.1.1

You should remove the OO user profile, as a reinstallation does not generate a fresh copy of this.

I did exactly this and even did it downloading older versions. I created a new user profile every time. I also tried to open all of the backups. Nothing! NOT a solution.

Just to make sure the program(OO) isn't modifying the file in some way. I have backups on media that has not been plugged into the computer since the problem started, and have copied them to other media before I attempt to do anything. That's what is really screwed up. These files opened fine with version 4.1.1 and after Immediately after I updated to version 4.1.3, I couldn't open any password protected files. I can't even open the backups with version 4.1.1 that have never been opened by version 4.1.3 and the backup media has not been plugged into the computer, so I have no idea why these files can no longer be opened with version 4.1.1, when they were fine before the update and could in no way be modifying by anything, because they were never connected to anything that could.

There may have been some Windows 10 update that has altered a system file OO requires. If you are in desperation you might try using a Live Linux DVD and its LibreOffice to open a sample file.

RoryOF wrote:There may have been some Windows 10 update that has altered a system file OO requires. If you are in desperation you might try using a Live Linux DVD and its LibreOffice to open a sample file.

It couldn't have been from a Windows 10 update unless that happened between the time I was in the file with version 4.1.1 and the minute or so I updated it to version 4.1.3 and could no longer open it.

I have also pulled out my old computer, which has version 4.1.0 and I can not open any of the backups.

RoryOF wrote:There may have been some Windows 10 update that has altered a system file OO requires. If you are in desperation you might try using a Live Linux DVD and its LibreOffice to open a sample file.

Can you explain more please? What is Live Linux DVD? If I tried to open these with LibreOffice, why would this be any different?

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!. If someone can explain the following, please do.

I have now tried a third old computer that runs Widows 7 and has version 4.1.2 on it, with the same files. They have not been modified in any way since Feb 2017 and the computer hasn't been turned on since then. All of my password protected files opened fine when the computer was last on and they were transferred to a hard drive and then to the new computer that runs the Windows 10. Since then, this computer has not been turned on or connected to the internet or anything else. I have a file with all the passwords to all my password protected files, which are all different. NONE of them open. This makes 3 different computers, running 3 different versions of OpenOffice all with these same files, saved sometime in the far past by the version on that computer. None of the computers have been used and none of my password protected files with passwords I haven't changed since the oldest computer and now none of them will open.

Is there any way something in the program, all versions, expired?

Please don't say I forgot ALL the passwords, unless you can explain how they all worked in the past on 3 separate computers, I have a file with them all and none of them have been changed. LOL

Can anyone confirm that they have a Windows computer with any of these versions, especially 4.1.3 and they haven't had a single problem?

Simple fix. Uninstall Open Office 4.1.3. Install LibreOffice 5.2.7 -- NOT 5.3.4 which is the latest "stable beta" version. 5.2.7 is the latest version that is known to be absolutely, fully stable enough to be used in a production environment, so use that version. Here's the link: http://www.libreoffice.org/download/dow ... lang=en-US

I had the same issue you're having with Open Office 4.1.3. Dump Open Office and switch to LibreOffice. You'll hardly notice a difference except that LibreOffice takes longer to load.

Good luck!
L.

Laurence5905 wrote:Simple fix. Uninstall Open Office 4.1.3. Install LibreOffice 5.2.7 -- NOT 5.3.4 which is the latest "stable beta" version. 5.2.7 is the latest version that is known to be absolutely, fully stable enough to be used in a production environment, so use that version. Here's the link: http://www.libreoffice.org/download/dow ... lang=en-US

I had the same issue you're having with Open Office 4.1.3. Dump Open Office and switch to LibreOffice. You'll hardly notice a difference except that LibreOffice takes longer to load.

Good luck!
L.

I downloaded LibreOffice 5.2.7 to all the computers. Doesn't fix the problem on any of them.

mzman wrote:I downloaded LibreOffice 5.2.7 to all the computers. Doesn't fix the problem on any of them.

And you uninstalled Open Office on all the computers first?

What about Java. Have you updated Java?

Good luck,
L.

Laurence5905 wrote:

mzman wrote:I downloaded LibreOffice 5.2.7 to all the computers. Doesn't fix the problem on any of them.

And you uninstalled Open Office on all the computers first?

What about Java. Have you updated Java?

Good luck,
L.

Yes to both.

What about opening the documents in WordPad or Notepad -- yes you'll see gibberish, but if Notepad can at least *read* the document, then you know it's not Windows blocking you.

Have you tried opening one of the documents while Windows is in Safe Mode? Maybe you've got some kind of service or program running in the background that's blocking you.

And, of course, you could always reformat one of your computers and install Windows and Java and LibreOffice brand-new, then restore your documents from a backup. See if that'll work... It's definitly a last resort, of course...

Good luck,
L.

Search Writer Help with password. .doc files use many different types of passwords and AOO may have dropped support for older types in later versions.

Read [Tutorial] Differences between Writer and MS Word files which discusses passwords and explains why you should never save Writer documents as .doc files.