Can't open .doc (saved as) file in OpenOffice

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Muspeljotn
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Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2009 7:32 pm

Can't open .doc (saved as) file in OpenOffice

Post by Muspeljotn »

Right. A few days ago I saved a text document I wrote in OpenOffice 2.4 as a .doc file. At the time I could open the file and edit it without any problem what so ever. I also had notes in a few other documents which I saved as .doc files (97/2000/XP, I think) as well. Today when I tried to open the first file OpenOffice couldn't select a filter for it and prompted me to do so. I've tried everything on the list more than once, but so far nothing has worked. It either says it's not the format I chose, or I get a general input/output error. I can at best get twenty pages of what looks like squares. And I did try to rename the file extension to .odt and open it as one, but that didn't work. Could it be corrupted? It's quite abit of worked spent on this by now, so it would be a pain to lose it. The converter in OpenOffice doesn't recognize it. I've tried services that converts Word files to OpenOffice-files (like http://view.samurajdata.se/ and http://trial.3bview.com/3BTrial/pages/opendoc.jsp) but they can't even recognize the file. Tried opening in Microsoft Word in Windows (I run Ubuntu 8.04) with no luck. And I did try AbiWord. And there isn't a backup of the file in the home directory. I checked. It's now the same for all the files that I saved as .doc files in OpenOffice. I can open .doc files I've not created myself perfectly fine. The files are the same size they were when I saved them, so they look like they still contain information. Does anyone know if there is any hope to recover from this?

Similar issue discussed here: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=601258 - but with no solution.

I've attached two of them (the most important one is the one with Pontus in) here:
Attachments
Anteckningar torsdag.doc
(99.5 KiB) Downloaded 179 times
PontusDuckert50%Uppgift1.doc
(98.5 KiB) Downloaded 160 times
OOo 2.4.X on Ubuntu 8.x + Mac OS X
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Hagar Delest
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Re: Can't open .doc (saved as) file in OpenOffice

Post by Hagar Delest »

No luck neither for me with xubuntu Hardy and OOo 3.0 (Sun version).

That's quite strange, that's the first time I see such problems in the forums (using OOo for the last 3 years). There are several discussions within the last few days:
- Problems with two files
- General Input/Output Error
Each time with the MS Office file formats.
:?
LibreOffice 7.6.2.1 on Xubuntu 23.10 and 7.6.4.1 portable on Windows 10
Muspeljotn
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Re: Can't open .doc (saved as) file in OpenOffice

Post by Muspeljotn »

This is crazy (and frustrating), and actually the first time I used OpenOffice to write something in, as I'm pretty new to Linux.

I'm looking into the possibility of it being the cause of bad blocks. I mounted my /home directory on my shiny new hard drive a while ago, and I've never had any problems with bad blocks even on the old one, but it's still something I'm looking into. The data seems corrupted, and that's one of the things that got me thinking of it being that.
OOo 2.4.X on Ubuntu 8.x + Mac OS X
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Hagar Delest
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Re: Can't open .doc (saved as) file in OpenOffice

Post by Hagar Delest »

I was about to post in your Ubuntu thread! You can file a bug report and attach your file there (or put the link either to this thread or the Ubuntu one): [Tutorial] Reporting bugs or suggestions. Perhaps the devs will find out something. But you're using the Ubuntu version I guess and it's not the same as the Sun version so I don't know if they will accept it as a valid report.
LibreOffice 7.6.2.1 on Xubuntu 23.10 and 7.6.4.1 portable on Windows 10
ceecii2000
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Re: Can't open .doc (saved as) file in OpenOffice

Post by ceecii2000 »

I too am having the same problem using Win XP 02. I have saved several files as .doc and have opened them up until about a week ago with no problem. I now cannot open any documents through OOo. Need a quick fix to this problem as it's some major business files!!

Thanks
OOo 3.0.X on Ms Windows XP
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TheGurkha
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Re: Can't open .doc (saved as) file in OpenOffice

Post by TheGurkha »

Can you attach any of the .doc files here?

[Forum] How to attach a document here.

If it is too big to post (has to be less than 128K) then you could use one of the free file hosting sites like Zamzar and post the link here.
Ubuntu 14.10 Utopic Unicorn, LibreOffice Version: 4.3.3.2
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ceecii2000
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Re: Can't open .doc (saved as) file in OpenOffice

Post by ceecii2000 »

this is one of the many .doc files I can no longer open.

Thanks for any help.
CeCe
Attachments
outside cover.doc
(2.5 KiB) Downloaded 162 times
OOo 3.0.X on Ms Windows XP
Muspeljotn
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Re: Can't open .doc (saved as) file in OpenOffice

Post by Muspeljotn »

Hagar de l'Est wrote:I was about to post in your Ubuntu thread! You can file a bug report and attach your file there (or put the link either to this thread or the Ubuntu one): [Tutorial] Reporting bugs or suggestions. Perhaps the devs will find out something. But you're using the Ubuntu version I guess and it's not the same as the Sun version so I don't know if they will accept it as a valid report.
Thank you! In a way, it's good to see that I'm not alone in this. In another way it's not. Since suddenly not being able to open important documents is kind of an issue, and a question of reliability. I'll try to file a bug report. I wasn't able to recover any previous version of the files (trashed files) to compare with. I do have bad blocks, but they're not in use. My system partion is by the way completely full, could that affect things (in Ubuntu)? Still, my /home directory where I saved all me documents is mounted on another harddrive, so that shouldn't be a problem. It feels like I'm reaching.

ceecii2000: When I try to open your file, it asks for a filter. It's interesting that AbiWord asks for a password(?).
OOo 2.4.X on Ubuntu 8.x + Mac OS X
ceecii2000
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Re: Can't open .doc (saved as) file in OpenOffice

Post by ceecii2000 »

Yes, it does ask for a filter (screenshot attached). When I go through the list, it says I must select MS .doc to open it. It's not on the list. So I go to the help and it says:

Filter list
Select the import filter for the file that you want to open.
If OpenOffice.org does not recognize the file type of the document that your want to open, try any of the following:
Select the import filter from the list.
Ensure that the file extension corresponds to the file type of the document. For example, a Microsoft Word document must have a (*.doc) extension for OpenOffice.org to use the appropriate filter.
Install a missing import filter with the OpenOffice.org Setup program.


So since my document does have the correct .doc extension, but I'm missing that filter choice, i'm to go to OOo setup program and install it. Where is that located?!?!?!?!?!

Frustrating!
Attachments
screenshot.JPG
OOo 3.0.X on Ms Windows XP
Muspeljotn
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Re: Can't open .doc (saved as) file in OpenOffice

Post by Muspeljotn »

When opening your file, I am able to choose several WinWord-filters, but get the message 'This is not a WinWord97 file' or something equally informative...
OOo 2.4.X on Ubuntu 8.x + Mac OS X
ceecii2000
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Joined: Thu Jul 03, 2008 4:39 pm

Re: Can't open .doc (saved as) file in OpenOffice

Post by ceecii2000 »

Exactly! the extension obviously is .doc yet OOo is still not recognizing it. The properties even say so. This is killing me!
Attachments
screenshot2.JPG
OOo 3.0.X on Ms Windows XP
Muspeljotn
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Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2009 7:32 pm

Re: Can't open .doc (saved as) file in OpenOffice

Post by Muspeljotn »

I'm very much interested in finding out what caused this. I've re-written my exams now, and it's not something I want to do again, because of a "bug" that I don't know how or when it will occur. I don't have the latest version of Ubuntu, and OO is version 2.4. I guess that's not very good bug report-material. Yet I have a feeling updating would not help me here. Mirosoft Word cannot recognize your file, so I'd say it could be corrupt by now (like mine).

Written by SteveDee:
I downloaded the 2nd of your 2 files and opened it using the Gnome Hex editor.

I'm afraid your file is mostly 00H or FFH. So it looks like its been trashed.
From: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php? ... ost6592393
So yeah, mine are trashed. But I don't know how to find out exactly how much/little your file is corrupted, if at all.
OOo 2.4.X on Ubuntu 8.x + Mac OS X
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