[Solved] Recent Documents not saved

Issues with installing under all versions of MS Windows
Craig_Watson
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[Solved] Recent Documents not saved

Post by Craig_Watson »

How can I make the new version of OpenOffice save my recent files under the Recent Documents link? It worked fine for years until OpenOffice automatically updated my software. Now it no longer functions. I want the Recent Documents link to work. Please tell me how to do that.
Last edited by robleyd on Mon Jul 30, 2018 2:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Tagged [Solved] [robleyd, Moderator]
OpenOffice 3.1, Windows 7 OS. Does no longer save documents in Recent Documents list. Why? Old version worked fine. New version is incompetent and useless / worthless. I need to know how to make Recent Documents work.
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Zizi64
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Re: Recent Documents not saved

Post by Zizi64 »

It worked fine for years until OpenOffice automatically updated my software.
The Apache OpenOffice and the LibreOffice never update automatically (on Windows). It able to warn you if a new version is available. You must download and install the new version manually.
Tibor Kovacs, Hungary; LO7.5.8 /Win7-10 x64Prof.
PortableApps/winPenPack: LO3.3.0-7.6.2;AOO4.1.14
Please, edit the initial post in the topic: add the word [Solved] at the beginning of the subject line - if your problem has been solved.
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Zizi64
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Re: Recent Documents not saved

Post by Zizi64 »

Try to reset (rename or delete) the User profile of the AOO.

viewtopic.php?f=74&t=12426#p58403
Tibor Kovacs, Hungary; LO7.5.8 /Win7-10 x64Prof.
PortableApps/winPenPack: LO3.3.0-7.6.2;AOO4.1.14
Please, edit the initial post in the topic: add the word [Solved] at the beginning of the subject line - if your problem has been solved.
Craig_Watson
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Re: Recent Documents not saved

Post by Craig_Watson »

NO "User" profile exists in this worthless 4.1.2 version of OO. apache ruined my usage of OO because their current version is incompetent and screwed up my use of it because their Recent Documents doesn't save recent documents like my prior version did for years.
OpenOffice 3.1, Windows 7 OS. Does no longer save documents in Recent Documents list. Why? Old version worked fine. New version is incompetent and useless / worthless. I need to know how to make Recent Documents work.
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RoryOF
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Re: Recent Documents not saved

Post by RoryOF »

Open any folder and enter
%appdata%\openoffice\4
in the address bar near the top. That will take you to a folder containing the user folder. Right click on that folder, choose Rename and change the name to user_old. Restart OpenOffice. You should get the registration screen. Fill that out and then open a document.

When you Save that document, does it then show in OO's /File /Recent documents?
Apache OpenOffice 4.1.15 on Xubuntu 22.04.4 LTS
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Zizi64
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Re: Recent Documents not saved

Post by Zizi64 »

NO "User" profile exists in this worthless 4.1.2 version of OO.
Yes, there is User profile - somewhere. If the user profile not exist, the AOO will create a new one at the next starting.

apache ruined my usage of OO
Try the LibreOffice. Different developer teams - different bugs and problems. :D
Tibor Kovacs, Hungary; LO7.5.8 /Win7-10 x64Prof.
PortableApps/winPenPack: LO3.3.0-7.6.2;AOO4.1.14
Please, edit the initial post in the topic: add the word [Solved] at the beginning of the subject line - if your problem has been solved.
Craig_Watson
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Re: Recent Documents not saved

Post by Craig_Watson »

I have been unable to find anything named "User Profile". And it has not been created ever because I've restarted this software numerous times since downloading 4.1.2. You write "AOO will create a new one as the next starting. Nothing like that has been done because nothing like it exists anywhere that I can find. I need exact steps to find what you allege exists, but does not in my experience and opinion because I've been unable to locate any such thing named "User Profile".
OpenOffice 3.1, Windows 7 OS. Does no longer save documents in Recent Documents list. Why? Old version worked fine. New version is incompetent and useless / worthless. I need to know how to make Recent Documents work.
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RoryOF
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Re: Recent Documents not saved

Post by RoryOF »

Did you try my suggestion? If you do it correctly, you will see a folder called "user". Rename that (this must be done with OO closed).
Apache OpenOffice 4.1.15 on Xubuntu 22.04.4 LTS
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Zizi64
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Re: Recent Documents not saved

Post by Zizi64 »

Your signature is :
OpenOffice 3.1, Windows 7 OS.
I suppose based on your signature that you are using Win7. The location of my LibreOffice User profile in my Win7 prof 64 bit:

C:\Users\'MyWindowsUserName'\AppData\Roaming\LibreOffice\4\user\

You must have admin rights if you want browse the system directories and the hidden directories of the Windows op.sys.
Last edited by Zizi64 on Sat Jul 28, 2018 6:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Tibor Kovacs, Hungary; LO7.5.8 /Win7-10 x64Prof.
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Zizi64
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Re: Recent Documents not saved

Post by Zizi64 »

If you are using a PORTABLE version of the Apache OpenOffice, then the User profile is located in the program directory.
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PortableApps/winPenPack: LO3.3.0-7.6.2;AOO4.1.14
Please, edit the initial post in the topic: add the word [Solved] at the beginning of the subject line - if your problem has been solved.
Craig_Watson
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Re: Recent Documents not saved

Post by Craig_Watson »

I appreciate your expert suggestions. I can't follow them, too confusing and I'm not computer savvy enough for such complicated matters. My Recent Documents tab is simple not working anymore. I don't know how to make it work even reading your recommendations as I don't understand some of it. I'm afraid to replace this useless version of AOO 4.1.2 because I'll probably loose all my documents. I need a local computer expert I suppose to do this for me. btw, my family Worchalaks emigrated from Hungary during the Great Depression to Ford City, PA where other Hungarian revolution emigants settled. Dad changed his name to Watson because he was taunted as a "hunky" as a child, the epithet like Niggers used against these immigrant, like wetbacks today.
OpenOffice 3.1, Windows 7 OS. Does no longer save documents in Recent Documents list. Why? Old version worked fine. New version is incompetent and useless / worthless. I need to know how to make Recent Documents work.
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Zizi64
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Re: Recent Documents not saved

Post by Zizi64 »

My Recent Documents tab is simple not working anymore. ... I'm afraid to replace this useless version of AOO 4.1.2 because I'll probably loose all my documents.
The 'recent document list' and the documents stored in your HDD are not directly related in this way. If you remove the AOO regularly, then your stored documents will not be deleted. (I hope you not saved them into the program directory...)
Tibor Kovacs, Hungary; LO7.5.8 /Win7-10 x64Prof.
PortableApps/winPenPack: LO3.3.0-7.6.2;AOO4.1.14
Please, edit the initial post in the topic: add the word [Solved] at the beginning of the subject line - if your problem has been solved.
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Zizi64
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Re: Recent Documents not saved

Post by Zizi64 »

OFF:
btw, my family Worchalaks emigrated from Hungary during the Great Depression to Ford City, PA where other Hungarian revolution emigants settled. Dad changed his name to Watson because he was taunted as a "hunky" as a child, the epithet like Niggers used against these immigrant, like wetbacks today.
My great-grandfather - when he was young man -, got a try too in the USA in year 1912. But - fortunately - he came back, and he married my great-grandmother.
I do not even think about what it would have been if he did not come back ... :D
(I found his name and family data in the immigrant list of the Ellis Island)
Tibor Kovacs, Hungary; LO7.5.8 /Win7-10 x64Prof.
PortableApps/winPenPack: LO3.3.0-7.6.2;AOO4.1.14
Please, edit the initial post in the topic: add the word [Solved] at the beginning of the subject line - if your problem has been solved.
John_Ha
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Re: Recent Documents not saved

Post by John_Ha »

Craig_Watson wrote:I have been unable to find anything named "User Profile". And it has not been created ever because I've restarted this software numerous times since downloading 4.1.2. You write "AOO will create a new one as the next starting. Nothing like that has been done because nothing like it exists anywhere that I can find. I need exact steps to find what you allege exists, but does not in my experience and opinion because I've been unable to locate any such thing named "User Profile".
The profile files are hidden files so you must switch on Show hidden files to see them.

There is no folder called User Profile - the User Profile is the contents of folder C:\Users\xxxxxx\AppData\Roaming\OpenOffice\4\user.
LO 6.4.4.2, Windows 10 Home 64 bit

See the Writer Guide, the Writer FAQ, the Writer Tutorials and Writer for students.

Remember: Always save your Writer files as .odt files. - see here for the many reasons why.
Craig_Watson
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Re: Recent Documents not saved

Post by Craig_Watson »

I don't know how to switch on "Show hidden files". The url you gave me finds no results when searching with it in the address bar. I was unaware that no folder named "User Profile" exists. I don't know what to do even if I find "Show hidden files". That is why I need someone here, in person, apparently. Or will take my computer to a local business expert to help me.
OpenOffice 3.1, Windows 7 OS. Does no longer save documents in Recent Documents list. Why? Old version worked fine. New version is incompetent and useless / worthless. I need to know how to make Recent Documents work.
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Re: Recent Documents not saved

Post by John_Ha »

Google windows hidden files or see [Tutorial] How to find and un-delete Writer temporary files which tells you.

I did not give you a URL - I gave you a Windows path.
LO 6.4.4.2, Windows 10 Home 64 bit

See the Writer Guide, the Writer FAQ, the Writer Tutorials and Writer for students.

Remember: Always save your Writer files as .odt files. - see here for the many reasons why.
Craig_Watson
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Re: Recent Documents not saved

Post by Craig_Watson »

I did google "windows hidden files" and followed the instructions to show hidden files. But nothing happened. I don't know what to do next to get back Recent Documents button on my AOO 4.1.2. It looks too complicated from then on for me to do or understand.
OpenOffice 3.1, Windows 7 OS. Does no longer save documents in Recent Documents list. Why? Old version worked fine. New version is incompetent and useless / worthless. I need to know how to make Recent Documents work.
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Zizi64
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Re: Recent Documents not saved

Post by Zizi64 »

Recent Documents button on my AOO 4.1.2
The Recent documents function is assigned to a Menu Item, but not to a button in the AOO/LO:
Recent.png
Tibor Kovacs, Hungary; LO7.5.8 /Win7-10 x64Prof.
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Please, edit the initial post in the topic: add the word [Solved] at the beginning of the subject line - if your problem has been solved.
Craig_Watson
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Re: Recent Documents not saved

Post by Craig_Watson »

Your picture shows how it once worked for me but no longer works. I know it is a menu item. I don't know the diff from a button or menu item since you have to click on Recent Documents to open it. Anyhow, that no longer works and your photo shows how it once looked for me in my AOO software. No more. It says No Documents and saves them no longer since updated software was installed a week ago. Maybe I can ask my computer to go back before that time and renew itself to be then instead of now and have the old version back? Would that work?
OpenOffice 3.1, Windows 7 OS. Does no longer save documents in Recent Documents list. Why? Old version worked fine. New version is incompetent and useless / worthless. I need to know how to make Recent Documents work.
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robleyd
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Re: Recent Documents not saved

Post by robleyd »

Firstly, all the user-related data for AOO is stored in a dedicated folder, we call the user profile. This folder contains several other folders and files used for all user-related data, such as custom dictionaries, toolbar modifications and many other details. If you are interested, there is a more in-depth - and technical - explanation in [Tutorial]The OpenOffice User Profile

On to the meat of the matter -perhaps a graphic description of the process of renaming the user profile will help. These screenshots are all from a Windows 7 Home environment, but should be not dis-similar for other versions of Windows.

First, close Apache OpenOffice if it is running; then open Windows Explorer
profile1.png
Then, in the Address Bar on the top left (not the search bar which is on the right!) type %appdata% and click on the arrow at the right of the address bar.
profile2.png
This should take you to the folder containing, among others, the OpenOffice top level folder.
profile3.png
Open that folder, and you will see a folder named 4
profile4.png
Open the folder 4 and the user folder will be seen; you can then right click on the user folder, select the rename option and rename the folder - perhaps to user_old
profile5.png
Now restart Apache OpenOffice; you should be asked to enter your name, which shows the profile was correctly reset.
 Edit: You mentioned that you went from AOO 3.n to AOO 4.n - version 4 uses a profile in a different place so your recent documents list from version 3 will not be carried over. Have you actually used any documents since the change to version 4? Until document(s) are closed, they will not appear in the recent files list 
Cheers
David
OS - Slackware 15 64 bit
Apache OpenOffice 4.1.15
LibreOffice 24.2.1.2; SlackBuild for 24.2.1 by Eric Hameleers
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Zizi64
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Re: Recent Documents not saved

Post by Zizi64 »

Please take a try: Create a new document, type in some text (at least a word) save it somewhere, close it, then restart the AOO software.
Can you see at least that one document in the Recent list now?

If the answer is "Yes", then the recent list is deleted somehow (at the updating the software or in other way). I think it: no way to get it back. But the documents in the list are not deleted. You can find them where you saved them to.

If the answer is "No", then you need reset the "User profile" - as it described (and linked) above.
Tibor Kovacs, Hungary; LO7.5.8 /Win7-10 x64Prof.
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Please, edit the initial post in the topic: add the word [Solved] at the beginning of the subject line - if your problem has been solved.
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RoryOF
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Re: Recent Documents not saved

Post by RoryOF »

Please try /File /New :Text document.

On the blank document that opens, type "dt" (no quotes) then press key F3. This will give a paragraph of dummy text.

Now use /File /Save As, enter a filename ("test"", no quotes, would be good), with file type ODF text document (odt) selected from the file type dropdown; "Automatic file name extension" should be checked - if not, please check it.

Now select /File /Close.

Does "test.odt" now show on /File /Recent documents?

If this works, Recent documents is working correctly; your older files are present on your computer and will show up on Recent documents as you open them; you either need to navigate to their location on the computer by using the navigation buttons in the /File /Open dialog, or by finding them using the computer's File Search to locate them, either by searching for a known name or partial name of each file, or their file extension (perhaps .odt or /doc for text files), then double clicking on each found filename to cause it to open.
Apache OpenOffice 4.1.15 on Xubuntu 22.04.4 LTS
Craig_Watson
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Re: Recent Documents not saved

Post by Craig_Watson »

On your response showing the many screen shot steps, I didn't see a way to respond to you so I sent those emails thru the chat room link instead. Here in this earlier response of yours, I see a response button so here I am again. I downloaded this AOO 4.1.2 a few weeks ago and had opened maybe 60 documents since then, none of which were saved. After my initial test of your steps with opening 3 documents then closing AOO and opening it again, the 3 were under Recent Documents. I opened a few more, closed and reopened it again, and all are being saved again. I use the default 10 saves but saw in various chats I've since scanned that it's possible to enlarge the number of Recent Documents saved in this list. Ten is good enough for me. I was amazed to see all these files and steps I had no idea existed. I'm constantly amazed at the complexity of computing and these machines and what they can do. I'll close this discussion on the chat page now. Thanks very much. I assume you maybe work for Apache since you are a site monitor? The Hungarian blogger tried to help but his comments didn't do it for me. Yours did.
OpenOffice 3.1, Windows 7 OS. Does no longer save documents in Recent Documents list. Why? Old version worked fine. New version is incompetent and useless / worthless. I need to know how to make Recent Documents work.
Craig_Watson
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Success: Recent Documents not saved

Post by Craig_Watson »

Rory OF gave me the screen shot steps that led to my successful recovery of the Recent Documents function on my recently downloaded AOO 4.1.2. Took a few days. I'm elated this works again. I thanked Rory. Great resource I never knew exists until now, this AOO forum.
OpenOffice 3.1, Windows 7 OS. Does no longer save documents in Recent Documents list. Why? Old version worked fine. New version is incompetent and useless / worthless. I need to know how to make Recent Documents work.
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RoryOF
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Re: Recent Documents not saved

Post by RoryOF »

The Volunteers and Moderators on this forum all work in their own time and on a pro bono basis.

You may find these two documents helpful:
This document is not as complete as the manual, but covers almost everything a quite ambitious user needs to know about Writer
Writer for students (several languages)

This document covers much the same ground as the previous document. It will be helpful for those writing a book
http://documentation.openoffice.org/whi ... th_OOo.odt
Apache OpenOffice 4.1.15 on Xubuntu 22.04.4 LTS
Craig_Watson
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Re: Recent Documents not saved

Post by Craig_Watson »

Thanks for the link to Writer for students. I saved it for later use. I hope I never want to / have to use it, personally speaking.
OpenOffice 3.1, Windows 7 OS. Does no longer save documents in Recent Documents list. Why? Old version worked fine. New version is incompetent and useless / worthless. I need to know how to make Recent Documents work.
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robleyd
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Re: Recent Documents not saved

Post by robleyd »

I received this message via email from Craig_Watson
Hi and thanks for your step-wise instructions. Should have been simple but,
when typing in %appdata% in address bar and searching as directed in your
second screen shot, NO such file pops up as you say it will. It goes to
Google instead, with lots of options for these procedures, none of which
work on my computer. I'll take my computer to local experts this week as
nothing / no one on this site has been of any help in re-establishing a
working Recent Documents tab on AOO 4.1.2.
From that description, it appears %appdata% was entered into the address bar of a web browser - possibly Internet Explorer, rather than using the Windows Explorer file manager as shown in my images.

Despite this mis-step, it appears the problem has been resolved.
Cheers
David
OS - Slackware 15 64 bit
Apache OpenOffice 4.1.15
LibreOffice 24.2.1.2; SlackBuild for 24.2.1 by Eric Hameleers
Craig_Watson
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Re: [Solved] Recent Documents not saved

Post by Craig_Watson »

True. I have no idea what Explorer file manager is or where. I did type "%appdata%\open office\4" into the address bar after your suggested "%appdata" didn't work (not using Explorer file manager is the obvious mistake). I saw the above additional text to add somewhere on the net or in discussion here and tried that and it worked. I was reading other sites on the net along with this one so now forget where I got that "%appdata%\open office\4" to try. Like so much technology now, it's become frankensteins which take control from us often rather than the intended "our control". Remember "Hal"? Ha Ha, he's real.
OpenOffice 3.1, Windows 7 OS. Does no longer save documents in Recent Documents list. Why? Old version worked fine. New version is incompetent and useless / worthless. I need to know how to make Recent Documents work.
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RoryOF
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Re: [Solved] Recent Documents not saved

Post by RoryOF »

I would suggest reading the "Writer for Students" document a few times. By doing so, you will get a feel for how Writer works, and what facilities it offers, which may be useful if you are preparing more complex documents.
Apache OpenOffice 4.1.15 on Xubuntu 22.04.4 LTS
Craig_Watson
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Re: [Solved] Recent Documents not saved

Post by Craig_Watson »

When I opened AOO this morning, the Save Documents button had no saved documents like it did yesterday. It asked me to register again when opening it. I imagine if I had not had to re-register, maybe the yesterday opened documents would still be there. This morning, after re-registering and opening several documents, I closed AOO then re-opened it. It did not ask me to register again this time when I opened it. My documents opened a few minutes ago before closing it were now saved in Recent Documents. Maybe AOO will stop asking me to re-register at some point, and then Recent Documents might be saved as in the past.
OpenOffice 3.1, Windows 7 OS. Does no longer save documents in Recent Documents list. Why? Old version worked fine. New version is incompetent and useless / worthless. I need to know how to make Recent Documents work.
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