[Dropped] Corrupted document

[Uuuuuuuuuuuu]

I have searched but can't find this precise issue - certainly not answered in a way that I could understand.

I've just spent hours writing a very important document, constantly saving so that I would not lose my work in the event of a computer crash.

Of course, my computer just crashed. So I restarted it, and went to open the document.

The icon has changed, and instead of showing the usual icon for .odt files, it is different. This picture shows the difference between the file I was working on (on the left) and the other file I had open at the time, which I was using to copy-paste some passages across. All afternoon, while I was working on it, and saving the file at regular intervals, both files had the same icon.



When I tried to open the file, I was presented with a box telling me to register OpenOffice. This is bizarre, as I've always used OpenOffice on this computer and have never seen that before. Then, I was presented with a box of ASCII Filter Options, which I've also never seen before.

Next, I get this box, which I've also never seen before. Needless to say, I have not locked the file:



On opening the document, it is completely corrupted - all my work has gone, and has been replaced by hundreds of hashtag-type symbols.



The other document that was open at the time - the unimportant one that I was just using to copy-paste stuff - is completely fine.

I have no idea what to do. I've Googled for tutorials on how to repair corrupted files, and they either don't work or I can't understand them. Please could someone explain to me what I need to do to get my work back?

It's absolutely ESSENTIAL that I recover all this work AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. There is no possible way for me to repeat the work that was done, and I don't have time left anyway. It's absolutely vital that I get all this work back, and very very soon. Please help. I have been using OpenOffice for more than a decade and nothing like this has ever happened before. Please, please save me...

[LastUnicorn]

To read for now, someone with more expertise than me will doubtless come by in time: [Tutorial] The Dreaded Pound Signs: file reduced to ####

For future reference you would be best to switch from OpenOffice to LibreOffice. Despite your current trial there are several good reasons for making the switch anyway, some of which are mentioned here: [Tutorial] Considering a Switch from OpenOffice to LibreOffice? Some Useful Information

[RoryOF]

The repeated ### signs are a certain sign that document is corrupt beyond recovery. You might look in the backup folder to see has it made a backup, or download a recovery utility such as Recuva or PhotoRec and let one of these attempt to find deleted copies of the document.

[Uuuuuuuuuuuu]

The "save a backup" option was unchecked by default. I don't know why. So there is no backup.

I have downloaded and run Recuva, and it is showing no files.

I'm afraid I can't just accept that this is gone - this is hours and hours and hours of very hard work which cannot be repeated. There has to be some way to bring this back. It was saved over and over again, all afternoon, and there was nothing wrong with the document. All that happened is that the computer crashed while a document was open. How could this have destroyed the file? It is simply not an option for me to say "well ok, it's gone." What has happened? It is absolutely vital that I get this work back.

[RoryOF]

There is no way; if you have a previous copy from a Save, use that.

[LastUnicorn]

You emotions are common when this kind of thing happens, it happened to me many, many years ago on an old Atari computer. First comes denial, the stage you are at now, my work must be there 'somewhere'! Then comes grief, when you mourn the reality and inevitability of your situation. Then comes acceptance, this takes time. But, at the end of all that, comes learning — you vow with all your power to do your utmost to avoid this kind of thing happening again. You can't outright guarantee that it will never happen again but you can at least try to minimise the impact if it ever does.The learning part is worth its weight in gold. Just remember that you have to go through the denial and grief and land at acceptance to get there.

For your future use give TimeStampBackup a try.

[Uuuuuuuuuuuu]

No, I was just saving the same document. The one that has now been corrupted.

I've been through the temp folder and there are plenty of files in there, but when I add the .odt none of them turn into the file that I have lost.

What has happened here, exactly? How can this happen?

[Uuuuuuuuuuuu]

There are tmp files in a folder timestamped around the time of the crash. One of them is a perfect copy of the other document i had open, the uncorrupted one which suffered no damage. The other is a perfect copy of the ######### file, corrupted version.

There are no other tmp files which have anything to do with this document, despite me saving it numerous times all afternoon.

Is it safe to use OpenOffice ever again?

[LastUnicorn]

LibreOffice is reputed to be a lot less prone to this kind of thing. There are several good reasons for making the switch anyway, some of which are mentioned here: [Tutorial] Considering a Switch from OpenOffice to LibreOffice? Some Useful Information

[Uuuuuuuuuuuu]

Thanks for trying to help, but after four hours I have had to give up.

The final insult: I ran Recuva deep scan on the entire computer, out of pure desperation, and I was amazed when (after previously registering zero files) it gave me an .odt file... which contained THE FIRST LINE of the lost document.

17 words of a 10,000 word document.

That's more upsetting than nothing at all.

I've been using OpenOffice since 2003, but I certainly won't ever be using it again.

[Hagar Delest]

I've been using OpenOffice since 2003, but I certainly won't ever be using it again.

That's one of the main reason why I advise in this AOO forum to switch to LibreOffice. They have rewritten the code for saving and there is no such issue with LO.
The issue has been reported a long time ago to AOO but no one really cares. And now that most of the devs have fled to LO, few chances it would change.

[John_Ha]

See the tutorial at viewtopic.php?t=85038 for possible help

[JeJe]

Repeatedly saving a document still only gives you one copy of it, so if its corrupted you can lose everything.

This extension might be useful, called TimeStamp Backup
viewtopic.php?t=86742

Other ways are, when you've done a lot of work on a file:
-Manually use save As instead of save to save to a new name such as with the date and time or an incrementing number on the end.
-Or save and copy the file in explorer, perhaps to external storage

[JeJe]

There's also File/Versions built in to OO

[RoryOF]

...
Other ways are, when you've done a lot of work on a file:
-Manually use save As instead of save to save to a new name such as with the date and time or an incrementing number on the end.
-Or save and copy the file in explorer, perhaps to external storage

In the case of using Save As to a different filename, one has to remember to open the _original_ file on next edit, as Recent Documents will put the last Save (under the new name) at top of its list.

It is also good, as JeJe suggests, to copy the file to an external medium, such as a USB key, but it is _essential_ to observe the USB removal protocols of the operating system, as otherwise disaster lurks. My preference is to use an NAS storage device (Network Addressed Storage), but I also have other copies of important works on other devices and in other locations.

[Hagar Delest]

There's also File/Versions built in to OO

However, the versions are all embedded in the file itself IIRC. Thus, it doesn't prevent data loss as an additional copy of the file.

[Lupp]

In the case of using Save As to a different filename, one has to remember to open the _original_ file on next edit, as Recent Documents will put the last Save (under the new name) at top of its list.
...

LibreOffice also has

Code: Select all

>File>Save a Copy...

which does not interfere with the recent files history and allows to continue editing .

[JeJe]

What I do is have filename, then save as filename1, filename2, etc with the current file always the newest one with the biggest number and that will appear in the most recent list at the top.

It can be useful to have earler copies of the file, especially if working on something like a graphics file in a program where there are operations which can't be undone (except by going back to a previous saved copy).