Apache OpenOffice Community Forum

Hi, my first time in here. I've never had a problem before.

For years, I have transferred files from my work PC to my Win10 laptop, using a memory stick. But recently, some (most) files are corrupted on my laptop and cannot be opened or repaired. However, the same files can be opened from the memory stick on the laptop, without any problem.

I've re-copied all the files, but the problem still exists.

My work PC was Win XP, but I now have a new Win10 PC and all the files transferred to that with no problems, using the same memory stick.

I can work around it by just opening the files with the memory stick, but I am a bit puzzled, as to why the files are being corrupted on the laptop.

Thanks in advance for any help.

As the files are good on the USB stick I presume the files were saved to the USB stick and copied from stick to the hard drive. If so, I suspect either the USB port or, more likely, the hard disk. Run chkdsk on the PC- google for how.

Thanks for that info. I ran a disk scan, no errors found. Will reload the files in a different USB port.

Edit: I deleted all the files, reloaded via a different USB port and I still have corrupted files that cannot be opened from the PC but can from the USB stick.

It's all a bit strange!

I'll copy them all to a portable hard drive next week and see if that makes a difference.

A guess: you say the transfer failed on an XP machine? Size of USB stick? Perhaps beyond the capabilities of XP.

Can you upload a corrupted file so we can see what the corruption is.

Press POSTREPLY and click the Upload attachment tab below where you type (128 kB max); or use a file share site, Dropbox or Google Drive for a larger file.

No, I never had any problems with the XP PC and transferring files. It is no longer in use.

I only upgraded to a Win10 PC because websites were slow, or wouldn't work on XP.

The USB Stick is 28.6GB of which 27.6GB is free.

It's a mystery!

File attached Edit: it opens fine on here

An older version of OpenOffice that does not support .docx format? It opened correctly for me on OO 4.1.10

Another file

That also opens OK.

They both open OK for me too, via this fourm, but not via installed OO,

I think I'll give re-installation a try.

Edit: Installed the latest version. The same problems exist.

Thanks for the suggestions though.

Maybe I missed it, but I haven't noticed any mention of an error message that would lead me to believe that the files are corrupted. Windows 10 has an anti-ransomware component that can block AOO from accessing files in the Documents folder. Files on the memroy stick would not be blocked.

Error messags

Are you absolutely certain that the files you are uploading are the files which will not open?

Check by trying to open a file. If it does not open, rename it to fred.odt/docx etc. Now try to open fred. If it does not open, upload fred.

John_Ha wrote:Are you absolutely certain that the files you are uploading are the files which will not open?

It is a major issue with MS Windows that the folder hierarchy has a virtual desktop on top and the home folder below and that the computer has its own virtual folder below the almighty "Desktop". I always have to think twice where I actually save something when trying to work with a Windows system.
1) Close or minimize all windows (Win key + D)
2) Open one file explorer window un-maximized and navigate to your USB stick having the undamaged files.
3) Drag the undamaged file icons onto the desktop background.
4) Double-cick the desktop icons representing the copied files.
What happens now?

Villeroy wrote:

John_Ha wrote:Are you absolutely certain that the files you are uploading are the files which will not open?

It is a major issue with MS Windows that the folder hierarchy has a virtual desktop on top and the home folder below and that the computer has its own virtual folder below the almighty "Desktop". I always have to think twice where I actually save something when trying to work with a Windows system.
1) Close or minimize all windows (Win key + D)
2) Open one file explorer window un-maximized and navigate to your USB stick having the undamaged files.
3) Drag the undamaged file icons onto the desktop background.
4) Double-cick the desktop icons representing the copied files.
What happens now?

Sorry for the delay, been away for the weekend.

Right, I did all that with both Files previously uploaded on this thread. Both files open correctly.

The ones copied from the USB stick into 'My Documents', still do not open.

John_Ha wrote:Are you absolutely certain that the files you are uploading are the files which will not open?

Check by trying to open a file. If it does not open, rename it to fred.odt/docx etc. Now try to open fred. If it does not open, upload fred.

OK done that

As before, it opens via here and not from 'My documents'.

Fred.ods is not corrupted and opens fine for me although I had to unblock it as it came from a different PC.

PS it's spelled Burnley ...

wunny wrote:They both open OK for me too, via this fourm, but not via installed OO,

wunny wrote:As before, it opens via here and not from 'My documents'.

If the corrupted files were uploaded to the forum, but they can be opened from the forum, then it's very unlikely that the files were ever actually corrupted. It's more likely that something on your computer, possibly the anti-ransomware or anti-virus is blocking AOO from accessing the files in "My Documents".

John_Ha wrote:Fred.ods is not corrupted and opens fine for me although I had to unblock it as it came from a different PC.

PS it's spelled Burnley ...

Burnley - right I've got that now. It's on a template file, with a spoof address, so nothing ever goes there from me and so far, not even me!



Not all the files fail to open, there are over 4000, but I can't tell how many fail as that is too many to look at and they are all clones of that file.

If it is MS anti-ransomeware causing the problems, I'll just have to work from the USB stick when using the laptop.

Thanks for the suggestions and help.

Cheers!

Update:

Further to the suggestion to move 'Corrupted' files to the desktop, I created a new folder on the Desktop and moved all the files into there.

Whoopee, every one of them that I tried, including those that wouldn't open, opened with no problems.

Thanks for all the help. Problem sort of solved!

I think there may be something wrong with the formatting of your USB stick; I suggest it would be worth reformatting - at low level, not quick format, after all files are removed from it. Or spend $20 (or equivalent) on a new one and try that!

RoryOF wrote:I think there may be something wrong with the formatting of your USB stick; I suggest it would be worth reformatting - at low level, not quick format, after all files are removed from it. Or spend $20 (or equivalent) on a new one and try that!

Thanks for that suggestion, I tried with another USB stick yesterday, that had had a full format, (it took 17 hours) with the same results. Both sticks were new in March and only used for transferring these files.

The same files on my new HP Win 10 PC, from the same source, via these sticks, open fine from 'My Documents'.

It seem particular to my Dell Laptop.

All works well with all the files saved in a new file on my Laptop Desktop. Only from 'My Documents on the Laptop has problems

Perhaps these USB sticks (size?) are of a size that is beyond the capabilities of the USB on that model Dell laptop or that version of Windows, and the memory map of the USB stick wraps around on one of the "magic" boundaries (usually a power of 2).

USB sticks are SanDisk Ultra 32 GB USB Flash Drive USB 3.0 Up to 130 MB/s Read

They shouldn't cause any problems, they didn't until recently.

Ah! I was thinking perhaps 128GB, which could be beyond the range (if my hypothesis is valid). But they are USB 3; it might be that a Win XP vintage computer is getting confused with that version (a hardware limitation?) and knows only about USB 2.

wunny wrote: I created a new folder on the Desktop and moved all the files into there.
Whoopee, every one of them that I tried, including those that wouldn't open, opened with no problems.

Which means there was a problem accessing the folder where the files were stored. It was not a file corrupted problem.

Bin the USB Memory stick.

Showing that a problem has been solved helps others searching so, if your problem is now solved, please view your first post in this thread and click the Edit button (top right in the post) and add [Solved] in front of the subject.

I've been doing a little (very little!) research. There are occasional problems reported with USB 3 devices on USB 2 ports; these seem to be connected mostly with the USB 2 port not supplying enough power for USB 3 disk drives. I doubt this is the case in this instance. If you had a USB 2 stick, it would be interesting to see if a transfer using it worked correctly.

See ASCII Filter Options--File Transformed into Gibberish for an author who lost 263,000 words of their book due to a USB memory stick fault.