File disappeared while working on it

[rel_dude]

Hello all.
I was working on a file in Writer for about 4 hours saving all the while, when suddenly upon saving (Ctrl+S) a dialog box popped up telling me that the file doesn't exist and I was returned to Writer. I glanced at the Title Bar and sure enough the title of my document appeared there just as saved and previously displayed.

Naturally, I thought there must be something wrong since I didn't touch the file itself and I was working on the document the whole time, so I tried again. This time the program hang for a while until I was forced to kill it. Upon inspection at this point I noticed that the file indeed wasn't where I saved it. When I start up Writer now it gives me the option to recover the document but constantly fails claiming (apparently, correctly) that the document doesn't exist. I cecked in my /tmp directory and in the Trash but no file.
Any idea what happened? Any way I can recover the document, anyway? That was a long afternoon of work that I'd rather not have to repeat.
Thanks for your help...

[Hagar Delest]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

You can check the backup folder: [Tutorial] The OOo user profile.

Have you created that file from scratch or has it been opened from a web browser or a mail application? If the file has been saved in the temporary folders of such applications, it may have been deleted when closing the applications.

What is the path pointing to that file in the Recent Documents list?

[rel_dude]

Thanks for your reply!
The file was (hopefully still is ) a file I created from scratch in my user folder in the folder Documents. My backup folder is empty. (/home/<user>/.openoffice.org/3/user/backup, right?)

Since the document recovery fails it doesn't even appear at all in Recent Documents once I do get Writer open.
Any other suggestions?

[Hagar Delest]

Well, if the file doesn't show in your documents, then, I'm rather pessimistic. During the edition, have you manually saved (Ctrl+S or floppy icon) or was it the autosave feature only?

[rel_dude]

I was saving with Ctrl+S. I too think it's probably gone forever.
Now that I know I can go
Thanks for trying...

[Hagar Delest]

That's the first time I see that. If the file is suddenly missing, I would think that it's an OS problem. If it had been a file opened as an attachment, it could be logical since the file is in this case saved in the mail client temporary folder, which is cleaned at the application closure.

But if the file is in the home folder, it's rather upsetting.

[jackattackstar]

This happened to me too.... exactly the same sequence of events. The file is completely gone! I don't think this is a MAC thing....

[Lizelle123]

Hi

This happend to me too! Any way that we can recover this document? My Open office said, system crashed. This document is really important.

[Hagar Delest]

Have you checked the backup folder?

Was the file saved in your documents area (like My Documents)?