[Solved] OpenOffice is changing png and jpg files I insert

[yarz]

Hi
I have been using Open Office for a few years. Something changed just a few weeks ago and I need help
I typed a text document of a few pages using OO Writer. I used the Snipping Tool to cut out a portion of a page of a spreadsheet I created. It was automatically saved in the file Pictures>Screenshots found in Windows Explorer. I then used Insert>Pictures>From file to insert that png into my document. I saved the document as a Word Doc. I have done this before and it always re-opens looking just like it did when I saved it. NOW, the text portion of he document looks the same, but anything I inserted has changed. It appears as if OO is grabbing just the upper left corner of the inserted picture, enlarging it 4x, and showing that as the saved picture.

After reading what I could on other similar problems, I saved the Snipped picture to jpg instead of png and then Inserted it. That didn't help.
I tested by using some previously saved jpg photographs taken years ago with my camera, then Inserting them. Upon reopening the document, they weren't even there.
I tested some text by highlighting a line of text with yellow and saved. When I reopened the document, the highlighting was missing. The text was there but the yellow highlight was gone.
I uninstalled the older version of OO I was using and reinstalled the latest -- 4.1.14. That didn't help. The saved picture continues to show up only as the upper left corner of the original picture that was saved, but at 4x it original size -- meaning that instead of seeing the original full inserted picture the only thing there is the upper left corner portion.

I'm quite frustrated. Does any of this give you any hints was to what changed and why it changed and how I can get back to the way it use to work?

[Hagar Delest]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

Sadly, AOO is walking dead. If you need to use external formats like MS Office ones, then go to LibreOffice, they better support those formats (note that .doc is really deprecated now).

See: [Tutorial] Considering a Switch from OpenOffice to LibreOffice? Some Useful Information.

Please add [Solved] at the beginning of the title in your first post (top of the topic) with the 🖉 button if your issue has been fixed.

[yarz]

Hagar
That's not the kind of help I was hoping for!! LOL.
I installed Libre but it will not allow access to my saved doc files nor will it allow me to edit them or save any changes. When I tried to amend a saved doc file, it forced me to save in Documents. Then when I reopened it, the document was completely blank.
Oh joy.

[Hagar Delest]

I know, weird on an AOO forum but well, let's face it, there is not much activity on AOO anymore. Just enough to remain an Apache project I guess.

Strange that LO doesn't allow you to modify your documents. Where are they saved? Of course your documents should be in a dedicated place like My documents where you have write access.
Note that you should keep your files in native ODF (.odt for text documents), it applies to both AOO and LO. Then export copies in external formats when needed. LO can save in .docx.

[RoryOF]

What is the precise message when you are denied access?

[yarz]

the message:
Document file 'name of document.doc' is locked for editing by yourself on a different system since 14.10.2023 12:50

Open document read-only, or ignore own file locking and open the document for editing.
Select Notify to open read-only and get notified when the document becomes editable.

[RoryOF]

Enable viewing of hidden files, then look in the folders in which your files are Saved for small files with names similar to

Code: Select all

.~lock.MyFileName.odt#

With OpenOffice closed, delete these.


Also, again with OpenOffice closed, look in the OpenOffice User Profile beside the folder "user" for a file

Code: Select all

.lock

Delete this.

[yarz]

1. Hidden files are always shown, per checked box. I do not see any .lock files.

2. In the user profile, there is not .lock file.
BUT, reviewing the dates in the column 'File Modified' there is a new file created today named "Registrymodifications". Hovering the mouse of it, the pop up box says it is a LibreOffice Configuration File. When I installed LO for a test per Hagar's note above, did LO invade AOO and change things to lock me out? If I uninstall LO, will that address this problem of being locked out?

[Hagar Delest]

I doubt it will change anything. The problem is with your file.
The .lock.name_of_document... file has to be in the same folder as your file. It would be very strange there is none. At worst, open the file and save under another name.
Don't bother the lock file in the user profile, I don't think it applies here (error message would be different).

[yarz]

<<<<<At worst, open the file and save under another name.>>>>

I can't open it though. When I use AOO to try to open it I got this message with a large red X:
Read Error.
This is not a WinWord97 file.

But in the File Type column in Window Explorer it says it is a MicroSoft Word 97-2003 file (Yes, I saved it as a .doc weeks ago and have successfully opened, edited, and saved it multiple times). Also, in its original form, it was about 240 KB, and now it is showing to be 19,606 KB.

When I try opening it with LO, it tells me the file is locked.

<<<<<<<<<<The .lock.name_of_document... file has to be in the same folder as your file.>>>>>>>>
A .lock file shows up in Windows Explorer when I use LO to try to open the file. That gets deleted as I see it when I close LO. No .lock files remain nor return after I delete it. Even with it deleted I still get the aforementioned messages when I try to open it.

[yarz]

Oh, and here's a new wrinkle..... AOO will no longer open for me. I just tried to start a new document and when I click on the AOO icon on my desktop absolutely nothing happens. I just installed that newest version today. 4.1.14

[Hagar Delest]

Then reset your OpenOffice user profile.
But I fear the file is dead. In the past it was impossible to recover .doc files but there has been some documentation since IIRC and maybe an application can recover something.
I hope you had backups.

[RoryOF]

If OpenOffice does not start or starts but does not run, use Windows TaskManager to look at what applications are running. Delete all instances of soffice.bin, and OpenOffice should now be able to startup.

[yarz]

Thank you for the help. I have changed my user profile; AOO seems to open OK now. Yes, the file I was working on seems DOA. Even under the new user profile AOO is still telling me it is not a WinWord file. Undoubtedly it is a corrupted file, but I'd really like to know why. Oh well. Re-do.
Also, still have no idea why AOO was appearing to save an entire inserted picture but when re-opening the file it was as if AOO saved only the top upper left corner of the inserted picture. Something to do with the corruption that occurred?? I have tested the Insert>Picture>From File on new AOO text documents as a test and it appears OK.... for now.

So you're saying I should move from AOO to Libre Office? Anything more than uninstalling AOO and deleting the user profile, then installing LO?

[LastUnicorn]

For some details on making the switch see: [Tutorial] Considering a Switch from OpenOffice to LibreOffice? Some Useful Information

[Hagar Delest]

You can keep AOO and install LO in parallel. Files will be associated with the latest one installed. But it can be reverted in the Windows settings. Try both and keep the one you prefer. Some still stick to AOO for various reasons.

I tag the topic as solved, feel free to change that if needed.