OpenOffice deletes contents of SAVED documents and ...

[ann_nagle]

I currently have Apache Open Office 4.1.16, and my computer's OS is Windows 11.

I have had Open Office for a long time, probably over 5 years, and use it often. I make documents for my church weekly. I have used it every few days, and most of the time it is okay. It does have some odd quirks. Looking for tutorial videos does not normally help at all. Sometimes the videos are silent or their talking cannot be heard, and you cannot see what the person is doing because the graphics are too small. Or maybe they do not speak English very well. I can only think of once when a video was helpful.

I like to do personal research on various history topics. I always save my documents. Always. I might spend hours documenting my research, and I always save my documents, but sometimes it is awhile before I get back to that document. It is saved, it ought to be in my computer. This happens often, that when I do get back to my document to add to it, it is erased and totally GONE. I did just look up on Bing why your software ERASES my saved documents, but the videos were not helpful. They were addressing UNsaved documents, or ones that might have been accidently deleted.

I did not accidently delete them, because the document is listed in my document folders by the name I gave it. The contents of my documents are often missing completely. This is extremely aggrivating, because that involves many hours of doing my research over again.

Usually, when your program crashes, it offers to recover whatever files I am currently working on, and I have it do that. I think some of my missing documents were "recovered" at the time I was working on them. Saved documents ought not to vanish period.


I never had this problem or any other problem on my previous word program, Microsoft Works 2002, which was fine until I had to get a computer with Windows 10. They charge a lot of money for their newer word programs, so they are not an option.

[keme]

I am quite sure that the culprit is not the office applications.

The most likely cause is that OneDrive is enabled with the default "files on demand" setting, and your computer is not always connected to the internet. Recently the push from Microsoft to use OneDrive has become gradually more aggressive (part of their market strategy to sell storage space subscriptions), and the "path of least resistance" gives this situation, which is fine for most users most of the time.

If you have OneDrive installed, a solution is to open the file manager, right click the documents (and/or OneDrive) folder and select "always keep on this computer".

Other causes I have observed:

• Malware (virus?)
  You should receive warnings about malware from the embedded security software in Windows.
• Failing disk
  This should trigger a "POST warning" (POST="Power-On Self Test") every time you start your computer.
• Security software with a "wrong" setting.
  For this to happen, someone (you?) must have installed third party software, delved deep into advanced settings and disregarded warnings. Not likely to happen without you knowing the background.
• OneDrive and previewing activated, and not updated for the last 4-5 years.
  Weird things used to happen with OpenOffice files in particular settings involving "file manager preview". I have only seen it with spreadsheets and presentations, but have seen reports of it happening also with other file types. IIRC this was around Covid pandemic times, when school activities relied heavily on network exchange of files between teachers and students (my line of work is in school IT). Microsoft fixed it, sort of, after a few months, but if you didn't get the update you may still see the issue.
• You save to a folder defined as "temporary storage" or removable media.
  Temporary storage is typically wiped upon restart, or when designated applications signal that stored data is no longer used.
  Removable storage may be mapped to different directory paths upon reconnect/restart.

Please post back if you suspect one of those other reasons, or the issue simply persists and you cannot find any solution. Most likely you are better helped in some other forum (MS Windows support/TechNet), which we may determine as we go.

[ann_nagle]

This is a brand new computer. It has One Drive, which I hate and got out of. It makes a total mess of my computer. I have not used it on other computers. If the One Drive is open, I cannot move files from one folder to another, but only copy and paste, and that is quite a pest.

There is no failing disk warnings, and better not be on a new computer.

I would not know what "third party software" I might have downloaded. I downloaded Open Office and Libre Office. Libre is kind of a pest, so I rarely use it and might delete it. I always get some stupid message if I try to open it "do you want this program to change your computer"....

I have not gone into security software.

I save documents to my documents folder. I don't know about any "temporary folders"?

This thing does not like my "removable media"/flash drive and refuses to open it unless I get into the drives on here. Only did that once because I was trying to find a copy of one of my documents to use for a template.

This happened also on my previous computer before this one and I never used One Drive on it. Maybe One Drive did it, but I don't know. I don't like my things in "the cloud"... I am not clear on what to try with the One Drive.


Getting support from MS Windows is about impossible.

Thank you.

[RoryOF]

A useful assistance may be to install the timestamp backup extension at
https://flowcont.hu/lo_oxt_store/
This also works, as far as I know, on OpenOffice

This gives a new icon on the toolbar, pressing which icon will Save the current work with the addition of a date/time to the filename; in the event that you experience a loss of data you would at least have a recent separate copy complete to the time of the last use of the Date/Time extension.

[MrProgrammer]

Usually, when your program crashes, it …

This is not a customer service. We didn't create OpenOffice. This is a user-to-user assistance forum. There are no developers or OpenOffice project managers in this forum. We are all OpenOffice users, just like you.

… when I do get back to my document to add to it, it is erased and totally GONE.

OpenOffice only creates and modifies documents. It never deletes them. Document deletion is done using Windows procedures. If your saved document mysteriously disappeared, OpenOffice wasn't responsible for the deletion.

I have noticed that some people misunderstand the File → Recent Documents feature. It's a list of the last ten documents you used. As you work with other documents, entries are removed from the Recent Documents list to make room for the new ones. The less-recently-used files are still where you saved them. They just aren't in the Recent Documents list. Use File → Open to access documents which aren't in the Recent Documents list.

As with any software, it is your responsibility to keep track of where you saved your document. All operating systems, including Windows, provide tools to help locate documents by name or by content. Review the documentation for your operating system to learn more about these tools.

Saved documents ought not to vanish period.

Perhaps Windows or its OneDrive software isn't configured properly on your computer. You may not get much help with that difficulty in this forum, since it's focused on OpenOffice, although there are a few topics that mention OneDrive. I don't use Windows or OneDrive myself.
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[RoryOF]

There have been reports of Windows updates erasing files or reverting to earlier versions of files that have been Saved in Windows temporary folders, and, if I remember correctly, on the Desktop. If erasures occurred on your earlier Windows 10, and on Windows 11, then I think the problem must lie with some inappropriate User Save location or some other User action.

I have not used Windows for nearly 20 years, but prior to ceasing with it, and in the period since using linux, I have had no file loss. - I am currently working on several works in progress commenced some ten or more years ago, so no file loss in those.

It is not advised to work to a USB stick for a number of reasons: USB sticks can suddenly fail catastrophically, with no hope of recovery. Also, if they are removed without observing the USB removal protocol, files may be damaged with no hope of recovery. If a USB is used for file backup it is best if the file is worked resident on the local computer drive, then afterwards moved using the system file manipulation routines to the USB, and it removed only after observing the USB removal protocols and waiting the few seconds for the "safe to remove" message.