Apache OpenOffice Community Forum

If you create a document with graphics, when you save it and then remove it, when you bring up the saved document, it will be very corrupted. The methods given to try and restore the document are very long-winded, and probably problematic.
What to do is this:
When you have created your graphics document, print out a copy. Then put the print into your printer, and do a scan of the document. (There may be a problem with colour documents, for if the file is 'too large', it may not be accepted by OpenOffice. I always scan in black and white, and then alter my new documents to colour again). Now open a blank page, open 'Insert' and go to 'picture'. Find the scanned document in your PC. and insert in onto the blank page. Now you can save that document, because there are NO GRAPHICS! The document can be named and saved, and you can use it to edit etc. When you have finished editing - as before,print a copy, and do a scan from your printer. Now you can close the document file, and not bother to save it, but just open a blank page, and insert the scan, to use your document! Simple! Hope this helps...

If you create a document with graphics

Which application are you using for that "document with graphics"? Writer, Draw, Impress or the Calc?

What file format has you saved these document? ODF (.odt, .odg, .odp, .ods?)

Can you share one of these documents here? (The file size limit is 128 KiB in this Forum, but you can share a link to a free file sharing service, where you can upload the file to...)

Post by MingledPython16 » 05 Apr 2025 23:42

If you create a document with graphics, when you save it and then remove it, when you bring up the saved document, it will be very corrupted. ...

If by "remove it", you mean "close the file", then there is something wrong either on your installation or in your method of working.

Firstly: the file format used is important; you should always work in OpenOffice's native formats (.odt, odp etc)

Secondly: After you Save a file you should wait a few seconds to allow the background housekeeping of the computer finish (such as flushing the built in write buffers to disk) before powering off the computer or closing a laptop lid.

Thirdly: When you reopen a file containing graphics and text, or merely a large file containing text, it may take some time, perhaps a minute or two in the case of a large or complex file, for the page layout to stabilise. any input at this time can upset the file.

With correct usage and observance of the above rules, an OpenOffice file should be absolutely stable; I have graphics files edited and changed over decades with many graphics which are and have remained quite stable.

MingledPython16 wrote: ↑Sun Apr 06, 2025 12:42 am If you create a document with graphics, when you save it and then remove it, when you bring up the saved document, it will be very corrupted. The methods given to try and restore the document are very long-winded, and probably problematic.
What to do is this:
When you have created your graphics document, print out a copy. Then put the print into your printer, and do a scan of the document. (There may be a problem with colour documents, for if the file is 'too large', it may not be accepted by OpenOffice. I always scan in black and white, and then alter my new documents to colour again). Now open a blank page, open 'Insert' and go to 'picture'. Find the scanned document in your PC. and insert in onto the blank page. Now you can save that document, because there are NO GRAPHICS! The document can be named and saved, and you can use it to edit etc. When you have finished editing - as before,print a copy, and do a scan from your printer. Now you can close the document file, and not bother to save it, but just open a blank page, and insert the scan, to use your document! Simple! Hope this helps...

Just in case new users read this "advice", it is pure nonsense.
I don't deny OP possibly having an issue with documents containing graphics. But giving that kind of advice does more harm than good. Giving a wrong idea of the reliability of the application.
Note: the scanned picture is in itself a graphic object. Thus, the rationale is a bit shaky.

If there is a regular "failure" as opposed to a once in a blue moon failure, it is best to locate and cure the problem causing such regular failures, which solution is what my earlier post tries to progress.

Recovery of a file from a failure that caused it is a unique action, and the best solution may vary from file to file, if in fact a recovery, either entire or partial, is possible.

MingledPython16 wrote: ↑Sun Apr 06, 2025 12:42 am When you have created your graphics document, print out a copy. Then put the print into your printer, and do a scan of the document.

Every print and scan operation will reduce the image quality. After a few times, the image will be badly damaged. And any text in the document will be turned into a picture of that text, making further text edits impossible.

MingledPython16 wrote: ↑Sun Apr 06, 2025 12:42 am Find the scanned document in your PC. and insert in onto the blank page. Now you can save that document, because there are NO GRAPHICS.

Well, no graphics except for the scanned document that was just inserted, which is an image.

MingledPython16 wrote: ↑Sun Apr 06, 2025 12:42 am I always scan in black and white, and then alter my new documents to colour again.

Just like in the Wizard of Oz where Dorothy and Toto magically go from black and white to color!

MingledPython16 wrote: ↑Sun Apr 06, 2025 12:42 am When you bring up the saved document, it will be very corrupted.

Especially for anyone who uses this bogus print and scan method!

If I had trouble with documents containing images — I don't — I would keep the original images for my document in separate files on my computer and never alter them after inserting those images in the document. Then an edit of the document could be performed by deleting the images (use the Navigator), making changes, and then inserting the original images again. Reinserting the original images is work, of course, but no more than making and inserting scans of them, and at least text in the document will remain as text, not a picture of it.

I suspect many problems with images are caused by working with ones which are inappropriately large. Working with correctly sized images avoids all of this nonsense. The following tutorial will help you avoid several image-related problems.
[Tutorial] Some useful hints on using images