Help! My text is all ##################

[richardruhnau]

Last time I revised this file, I saved it just like always. Today I open it up and the entire file is full of "#########", nothing else. How do I open this file and recover it?

[squenson]

Welcome to this forum richardruhnau!

Unfortunately, I have bad news for you, your file is gone forever. In the past five years, each time someone submitted a similar question, it proved to be true, so I hope you have a backup.

[floris v]

Your file is lost, sadly. See 22 pages term paper replaced with pound signs.

[richardruhnau]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This makes me want to find some other software.

[RoryOF]

For such an important document, you will have had a backup policy in place? No? Tut-tut!

[Hagar Delest]

It worked for at least 2 users (but still very low rate): check 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. Else, I hope you had a backup (or a copy in a mailbox)...

It seems there are less troubles with latest version 3.4.1. What is your version exactly? Your forum signature shows only 3.
NB: I switched to OpenOffice in the past because of a similar problem with MS Word. So whatever the software is, do backups.