Writer keeps crashing

[trustin]

I am working on long documents (40 pages) but nothing else is unusual about them. Writer crashes repeatedly, and my work is lost. Please advise
T Rustin

[RoryOF]

Two choices: make sure Windows 10 is fully updated.

Or

If you need to continue with your document as a matter of urgency. start Windows in Safe Mode, then run OpenOfice. Most likely OO will run stable in that mode. When your document is complete it could be time to look for a definite cause. As a general rule, when you pause work on any document press Ctrl S to cause it to save.

[allumatticus]

I am currently having the same issue, and already have a habit of saving constantly via ctrl+s. But Writer will not allow access to saved version after crashing - it forces me to "attempt recovery" every time. I have tried refusing and just accessing the document as saved - but it corrupts the file, and is no longer accessible. I have tried allowing recovery - but it somehow loses even more of the document than since my last save (I am currently filling a template, and it actually removed a portion of the original template upon recovery; all work within it was lost). Please advise, as I just reinstalled OO yesterday to attempt to fix this, as it was also no longer updating....

[trustin]

Since my original post, I tried just about everything I could think of to get Open Office to work properly, but never succeeded. Then the computer I was using died. For a while, I used an older Windows 7 machine. Then I bought a new Windows 10 machine. Open Office worked fine on both machines. So, perhaps it was the BIOS or perhaps there was a conflict with some utility on the old machine. I never did figure it out

[RoryOF]

Take your Windows 7 machine, if you still have it, and install a linux distro on it. This is a major change, nearly like going to live in a foreign country, but will give stability such as you never experienced on Windows.

Which linux distro you choose is your choice; my preference is for Xubuntu - currently running Xubuntu 18.04.4 on all my computers).

One can try linux distros from a Live USB or Live DVD.

[RoryOF]

Also, if you find OpenOffice unstable, for whatever reason, install and use the timed/dated backup extension.

You can download it from
viewtopic.php?p=406045#p405921

Note that you must invoke it separately using its button; it does not replace the standard save mechanism.

[John_Ha]

I am working on long documents (40 pages) but nothing else is unusual about them. Writer crashes repeatedly, and my work is lost.

Heavily edited files get "tangled". "Un-tangle" it by:

1. File > New > Text document
2. Insert > From file ..., and bring in the problem file.
3. Save the new file.

You will find it is much more stable.