[Solved] Please Help! My entire file is only #######

Discuss setup / installation issues - Add a spell checker, Language pack?
Post Reply
jez1982
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Jul 22, 2013 4:57 am

[Solved] Please Help! My entire file is only #######

Post by jez1982 »

Please, please somebody help me! I opened a very important (and long!) file today, and first a box came up asking me about the ASCII settings. I just pressed 'ok' (the default ones looked fine to me) but when I opened the file, everything was gone, replaced by row after row of ########, page after page. Can I somehow get the file back (It's 100 pages long). I'm desperate!!!
Last edited by thomasjk on Thu Nov 14, 2013 8:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Mark thread [Solved] and add green checkmark
OpenOffice 3.1 on Windows Vista
Bill
Volunteer
Posts: 8934
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2007 6:48 am

Re: Please Help! My entire file is only #######

Post by Bill »

Right click the file and select Properties. If there is a Previous Versions tab, click it to try and recover a previous version of the file. If there is no Previous Versions tab, try Shadow Explorer .
AOO 4.1.14 on Ubuntu MATE 22.04
thomasjk
Volunteer
Posts: 4451
Joined: Tue Dec 25, 2007 4:52 pm
Location: North Carolina

Re: Please Help! My entire file is only #######

Post by thomasjk »

The file is corrupt and not recoverable. If Bills suggestions don't work, I hope yopu have a backup copy somewhere. See viewtopic.php?f=6&t=17677
Tom K.
Windows 10 Home version 1803 17134.165
LibreOffice 5.4.7.2
User avatar
Hagar Delest
Moderator
Posts: 32661
Joined: Sun Oct 07, 2007 9:07 pm
Location: France

Re: Please Help! My entire file is only #######

Post by Hagar Delest »

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. If you have not rebooted, you might have those files still there.

NB: it seems that there are less such issues with AOO 4.
LibreOffice 7.6.2.1 on Xubuntu 23.10 and 7.6.4.1 portable on Windows 10
jez1982
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Jul 22, 2013 4:57 am

Re: Please Help! My entire file is only #######

Post by jez1982 »

HI Bill, Thomas and Hagar. Thanks so much for trying to help me! It seems it's gone and I can't get it back. I have most of it backed up, but for the rest of it, I guess I'll just have to retype! SIGH! Yes, I must learn to back up, back up, back up!
OpenOffice 3.1 on Windows Vista
Post Reply