[Solved] Data files deleted but lock files still exist

[rpbartman]

While I was away from my computer, it was hacked and the hacker deleted the OpenOffice data files I had opened. Whenever I try to use OpenOffice, it keeps trying to recover the deleted files and gets stalled and tells me the files are locked.

[floris v]

The lock files are hidden. Open the Windows Files Explorer, select the folder where your documents are, right click, tell it to show hidden files. Then delete the .lock files - they only serve to tell OpenOffice that a file is being edited, they don't contain any data from the file. Then try the backup folder in your user profile. Hopefully you can find something useful there.

[rpbartman]

I tried to view the hidden files in the directory where my files were. Nothing showed so I could not delete them.

[Hagar Delest]

Try to reset your OpenOffice user profile.

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.

[rpbartman]

I'm not sure what I did but I can't even start Open Office now which is a whole lot worse than starting Open Office and not being able to access my files.

[Hagar Delest]

What do you mean by hacked exactly?
Try to uninstall, clean the registry with something like CCleaner and then reinstall.

[RoryOF]

In most operating systems it is possible to search for all, including hidden, files.

In OpenOffice, lock files have a distinct pattern ".~lock.FileName.odt#" (no quotes. and the ".odt" changes to mark the file type), so searching for ".~lock." will throw up all lock files on your computer' remember to select the option to "search for hidden files".

These found lock files may be deleted if OpenOffice is closed.

[rpbartman]

Hagar Delest, by hacked, I mean someone other than myself accessed my computer with evil intent and deleted the Open Office files I had open. I was grocery shopping at the time.

[Hagar Delest]

Well, strange if you can't launch AOO. More harm may have been done then.
Have you tried to reinstall AOO?

[rpbartman]

I took your advice and uninstalled Apache Open Office. It's running now and the lock files that plagued me are gone!