[Solved] Calc sheet with database link opens in design mode

[PurplePix]

Open Office 4.1.8 Windows 7
Recently without warning my multi sheet spreadsheet with a single sheet that has a data base link always opens in design mode.
It should be a simple process of toggling off design mode. All sheets were protected so I have unprotected them all. I click on design mode to turn it to active mode and it works as expected. I save the spread sheet, in active mode. The next time I load and open the spreadsheet it has reverted to design mode as seen by the the box containers that would be filled with images from the database after a value is entered and the page refreshed with a refresh button.
Until recently saving in active mode would, when reloaded would open in active mode. Something in the background has happened as I save it in active mode, and next time I reload it, it is back in design mode. This now requires me to toggle the design mode back to active mode so the process works as expected.
Is there a cache I can clear, or should I uninstall open office and install 4.1.10 or is there something I am missing?

[Villeroy]

On toolbar "Form Design" the 8th button is for "Open in form design mode". This is a toggle option. Turn it off.

[PurplePix]

In the attached image I toggled off the design mode button, and as expected it turned design mode off. I then did a save as of the file, then closed the file. On reopening the file design mode was active again.
When I mouse over the button it tells me it is the design mode button. This is a recent problem, is there a cache I can clear or do I need to reinstall the Open Office to fix it?

[Villeroy]

This is Toolbar ”Form controls” .
Open Toolbar “Form design”.

[PurplePix]

Villeroy, I went to the View/tool bar and made sure only the form design menu was visible and turned off both 'Open in design mode' and 'Design mode on/off' and toggled them to the off position. I then saved the spreadsheet and did a warm boot of the computer. Upon opening the spreadsheet both the 'Open in design mode' and 'Design mode on/off' were both active or on again. This is the problem I am trying to solve.
I have exhausted all the possible options I can try that should have worked. Unless you have a different way to fix the problem, I think the next step is to uninstall Open office. Do a complete shut down (Cold boot) then on start up reinstall the latest version of Open Office.

[Villeroy]

The upper toolbar in docked position is menu:View>Toolbars>Form Controls
It has a button to show toolbar "Form Design" (also via menu:View>Toolbars>Form Design). This is the floating one with the title bar on my screenshot.
On that toolbar there is another toggle button on the 8th position. This one does not toggle between design mode on and off. It toggles between loading the document in design mode or not.

[PurplePix]

Villeroy, I have tried both positions and get the same result, mousing over the icon also gives the same help text 'Open in Design Mode', maybe the ones and zeros got mixed up.
I think I am at a position where I am going to uninstall and reinstall the program.

[PurplePix]

After all unsuccessful attempts to remedy the open in design mode issue, I went to control panel and programs and attempted a repair and got a fatal error. I uninstalled 4.1.8 and did a system shut down. On start up I went and downloaded 4.1.10 and installed it. Opening my spreadsheet it was still in Design mode even though I had saved it Design mode off. Turned Design mode off and saved the spreadsheet, and closed Open Office. Opened Open office and my spread sheet, it was back in design mode on. What now?
With this being open source, is there a process to make sure the process for Design mode toggle is working as expected. The icon's change when clicked, so I would expect they are working, or do I have a gremlin on my computer that could be causing the problem.

[Villeroy]

I think I am at a position where I am going to uninstall and reinstall the program.

Reinstallation will not change anythinig at all. If you want to repair OO, then you have to reset your user profile.

However, there is a much better OpenOffice than the one you have: https://www.libreoffice.org/discover/li ... penoffice/
This can be installed in parallel. You won't start OO again.

[PurplePix]

I have looked at Libre Office, and going forward For the moment I would prefer to stay with Open Office.

How do I go about resetting my user profile?

[robleyd]

See [Tutorial] The OpenOffice User Profile for information on how to do this, and more about the various parts of the profile.

[Villeroy]

You may also want to test download/file.php?id=26765 and see if the problem occurs with my document too. It contains one form on each sheet, both are linked to the "Bibliography" database shipped with your office suite.

[PurplePix]

Villeroy, I opened your file and it was ready to accept data (indicated by the greyed out GO {Enter} on sheet 1 & the text and Nav bar on sheet 2), I turned on design mode then saved it as biblio_new_entry_form- 1. Reopening the file it open in design view, I toggled off always open in design view and saved it as biblio_new_entry_form- 2. Reopening that file it opened in design mode off as expected.

From similar tests on your file and my file the problem is in my file where the always open in for design is the problem. With your file I can toggle always open in Design mode and save the file as new name. On reopening that file it opens in design view as expected. I then toggle off open in design mode and again save it under an new name. On reopening that file it open in active mode (Design mode off). I followed the same process with my file and regardless of if saved with open in design mode on or off it always open in design mode on.

What I have is a corrupt spread sheet, not a corrupt program as demonstrated by being able to toggle your program. With that in mind I will try a work around of taking an earlier save that is working correctly and do manual recovery of updates to bring it curent. The other option I will also try is start a new spreadsheet and copy and paste sheets to see if the corruption follows the sheets.

Now that I have the problem cornered, I would consider this issue closed. I will leave it open for a couple of days while I explore a work around solutions that I can add to this request that might help others should they encounter this problem.

Thank you Villeroy & Robleyd for your help.

[Villeroy]

You can try to copy all sheets into a new workbook. This should transfer the forms as well but hopefully not the error.

[PurplePix]

The spreadsheet I was having problems with that would always open in design view, has 12 sheets, two with data entry, the rest use complex formulas to extract the data, you might call them specialized reports. Two of the sheets also have pictures that come from the data base, these are achieved by entering a number associated with the pictures and up to 20 images could be bought in at once when the sheet is refreshed with the on sheet button.

The spreadsheet file is in a folder, also inside that folder is the database file and a folder where the pictures are stored.

Taking the problem spreadsheet, unprotecting all the sheets, and making sure design mode was off. I went to each sheet one at a time, placed my cursor in upper left cell and did a Ctrl + C (I might have been able to do Ctr + A then Ctrl + C). I also had open a second blank spreadsheet, and after copying each sheet, I would place the cursor in the A1 cell and press Ctrl + V (Paste). I named each sheet and added sheet as I went, finally saving the spreadsheet in a recovery folder (it showed lots of errors and ref issues). I then copy and pasted it into the folder where it belongs. I was going to check if the database was still registered, but didn't need to. A couple of tests and everything appears to be working as expected.

I just turned on always open in design view and saved it. Closed and opened the spreadsheet, and it opened in design view. Turned it off and saved the file again, and closed it. Opening it this time it was in design view off, so this tell me the issue I was having has been solved.

Thank you for your help.