Can't find OpenOffice Files

Issues with installing under all versions of MS Windows
Post Reply
RyanC
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Dec 30, 2018 7:06 pm

Can't find OpenOffice Files

Post by RyanC »

Hello, I am hoping to get help with an issue in finding the files that I have created.

I will create an open office file .odf, when I go to save it, I can view the file and other open office files (through the "Save As" explorer), but when I try to find the files through system folders it is nowhere to be found.

Am I missing something? Any ideas are greatly appreciated. Thank you!
OpenOffice 4.1.1 on Windows 7 Pro
User avatar
RusselB
Moderator
Posts: 6646
Joined: Fri Jan 03, 2014 7:31 am
Location: Sarnia, ON

Re: Can't find Open Office Files

Post by RusselB »

Welcome to the Forum
Your files, no matter what the name or extension, are saved in the default location, when using File -> Save (Ctrl+s) or the location you specify when using File -> Save As
If you used File -> Save As, but didn't change the directory/folder, then it will still be in the default location.
If you didn't change the default save location during installation or through the settings, then your default will be something like C:\Users\<username>\Documents
Replace <username> with the name you use to log in on your Windows system.

As your forum signature shows you are using Windows 7, you can get to the same location inside Windows by using the Start Key, then on the right hand side of the menu that displays select Documents, then My Documents

If you changed the default location, then you can find the name of the location by opening OpenOffice, then going to Tools -> Options -> OpenOffice -> Paths
If you saved to a different location, then try using the "Search programs and files" option that comes up upon pressing the Start Key in Windows 7 and enter *.odf to find all files with that extension.

Please note that the .odf extension is not a normal extension for an OpenOffice file. If you were using Writer, then the default (and recommended) extension is .odt, for spreadsheets (.ods), presentations (.odp), database (.odb)
OpenOffice 4.1.7, LibreOffice 7.0.1.2 on Windows 7 Pro, Ultimate & Windows 10 Home (2004)
If you believe your problem has been resolved, please go to your first post in this topic, click the Edit button and add [Solved] to the beginning of the Subject line.
User avatar
RoryOF
Moderator
Posts: 34586
Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2009 9:30 pm
Location: Ireland

Re: Can't find Open Office Files

Post by RoryOF »

To expand on RusselB's last remark, ODF is the generic term used to refer to the totality of the OO formats (.odt, .ods etc).
Apache OpenOffice 4.1.15 on Xubuntu 22.04.4 LTS
Bill
Volunteer
Posts: 8932
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2007 6:48 am

Re: Can't find Open Office Files

Post by Bill »

The Save As dialog should show the same files and folders as Windows Explorer. Are you navigating to the correct folder in Windows Explorer?
AOO 4.1.14 on Ubuntu MATE 22.04
User avatar
RoryOF
Moderator
Posts: 34586
Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2009 9:30 pm
Location: Ireland

Re: Can't find Open Office Files

Post by RoryOF »

You should be able to open any of the last 10 files created in OpenOffice by using /File /Recent documents and clicking on the name of the required file.
Apache OpenOffice 4.1.15 on Xubuntu 22.04.4 LTS
RyanC
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Dec 30, 2018 7:06 pm

Re: Can't find OpenOffice Files

Post by RyanC »

Thank you for the replies. Yes, I have viewed the file location while viewing the File -> Recent Documents. If i click on it through the "Recent Documents" then it will open. If I go to the same folder via computer folders, it is nowhere to be found. I have also attempted to search the the file name from the start menu search, in which case it will show the file, and when I click on it states "Windows is Searching for **** file"
OpenOffice 4.1.1 on Windows 7 Pro
User avatar
Hagar Delest
Moderator
Posts: 32627
Joined: Sun Oct 07, 2007 9:07 pm
Location: France

Re: Can't find OpenOffice Files

Post by Hagar Delest »

What is the path shown in the recent list?
LibreOffice 7.6.2.1 on Xubuntu 23.10 and 7.6.4.1 portable on Windows 10
User avatar
RoryOF
Moderator
Posts: 34586
Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2009 9:30 pm
Location: Ireland

Re: Can't find OpenOffice Files

Post by RoryOF »

Have you tried Searching for a partial name, or the main name without extension, in case the extensions are not affixed?

Also: Open a file in OO using Recent Documents. /File /Properties : General tab will show the location where the file is saved. Note this. If outside of OO using a file manager you cannot see the file in that location, then the problem is with your operating system.
Apache OpenOffice 4.1.15 on Xubuntu 22.04.4 LTS
User avatar
Gaurang Sharad
Posts: 13
Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2019 8:05 am

Re: Can't find OpenOffice Files

Post by Gaurang Sharad »

Go to file explorer and search for .odf
If the files exist in the system you will see them in the result.
OpenOffice 2.4 on xubuntu
User avatar
Villeroy
Volunteer
Posts: 31269
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 1:35 am
Location: Germany

Re: Can't find OpenOffice Files

Post by Villeroy »

While you have a document opened, menu:File>Properties... tab "General" shows the name, file type, path, creation date, modification date, size etc.

Microsoft Windows is the unfriendliest operating system when it comes to file managment.
First of all, it hides away the file name suffix (aka "extension") from the user while the whole system of associations between file types and default programs depends on the file name suffix.
Explorer menu:Tools>Folder Options, tab "View" has an option "Hide extensions of known file types" which is turned on by default. Turn it off in order to see the full names of your files.
Then it hides the most important directories where the user is supposed to save his/her work in a tree of meaningless virtual folders which is why many Windows users give up and dump everything onto the desktop. The desktop is always visible when you minimize all windows and it is the virtual folder on top of the folder hierarchy.

ODF (Open Document Format) is a generic term for text files with suffix .odt, spreadsheet files (.ods), presentations (.odp), graphics (.odg), databases (.odb) and formulas (.odf). Strictly speaking, only the formula documents have .odf as file name suffix. However, most Windows users don't see it anyway. ["Most Windows users" refers to Windows users with hidden file name extensions]
The save dialog of OpenOffice has an option "Automatic extension" which appends the right file name suffix for the type of file to be saved. When you save an Open Document text (odt) you enter some name, say "MyText" and the file will be saved as "MyText.odt" (most Windows users see "MyText"). WHen you enter file name "MyText.odt", nothing will be appended since you already provided the right suffix. When you enter "MyText.odf", the file will be saved as "MyText.odf.odt" (most Windows users see "MyText.odf").
With option "Automatic extension" turned off, the file is saved under the exact name that you type in. "MyFile" will save a file "MyFile" without any extension. MS Windows will show some kind of blank icon for unknown file types, most Windows users will only notice the change of the icon. They never see any name extensions anyway. When double-clicking on that file, Windows does not know what to do with it although it is a perfectly valid Open Document text file which could be opened with a plethora of applications but many Windows users are clueless when Windows does not open a file on double-click.

For many (most?) Windows users this is a hidden matter of fact. They see icons only and these icons may not indicate the type of file. Most icons indicate the default program that takes over this type of file when you double-click on it. This makes it very difficult to distinguish between an application (a computer program) and a data file which is a data package to be processed by some computer program or another. 20 years after the release of Windows 95, people still are not able to understand this simple system until they participate in a computer course.
Please, edit this topic's initial post and add "[Solved]" to the subject line if your problem has been solved.
Ubuntu 18.04 with LibreOffice 6.0, latest OpenOffice and LibreOffice
Post Reply