Sudden Program Reset?

[Pemster]

This is probably more of an issue with my computer than with Open Office, but it has me fairly freaked out all the same. I was writing this morning on a template that I created when my computer overheated and shut down(Careless on my part, but whatever). When I started the computer back up 10 minutes later, I found that Open Office was asking me to register as a first time user. I tried resetting, ran into the same issue again, and went ahead and re-registered. Now, while I can access files I have saved under the standard templates, I'm locked out of anything saved on that template. When I attempt to access it, I'm presented with a list of ASCII filter options, and then sent to a screen that allows me to access only a Read Only version or a Copy, both of which contain nothing but six pages of # hashes. Any idea of what I should do?

[kingfisher]

It sounds as though the shut down did something to your settings folder (sometimes called 'profile folder'). Do you have a backup of it? If so, I would move the new one which has now been created and substitute the backup for the new folder.

Can you find all your documents? Only the ones open at the time of the shut down would have been affected.

[Pemster]

What if I don't have a backup?

[RoryOF]

Restarting OpenOffice/LibreOffice will generate a new User Profile (settings) folder if an older one cannot be found. It is possible also that the Template in use was corrupted by the system crash; before doing anything towards trying to recover that template (read: recreating) try this.

With OpenOffice closed, use an archive manager, either built in to your system or an external program such as WinZip or 7Zip to try to open a copy of one of the "bad" files. Depending on the exact archive manager you use, you may need to rename the file from .odt to .zip. Inside it, you should see a collection of files and folders much like in the attached screenshot

Look in content.xml; if your content (or most of it) is there, then there is some hope, otherwise very little.

[Hagar Delest]

When I attempt to access it, I'm presented with a list of ASCII filter options, and then sent to a screen that allows me to access only a Read Only version or a Copy, both of which contain nothing but six pages of # hashes. Any idea of what I should do?

Nothing to do, see: 22 pages term paper replaced with pound signs.

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.

[Pemster]

Well, I tried both of those, and no luck. Thanks for the help, though.