Apache OpenOffice Community Forum

I use Calc as a "To Do" list which holds a record of past activities over several years and future plans including important appointments etc.
I've just tried to open it to do an edit and I was presented with a font choice dialogue. After this it opened a text document filled with the hash character.
When I try "Open With" I get a blank spreadsheet.
This is obviously a major issue for me.
I'm running Win 7.
Thanks.

It looks as though the file has become corrupted as I can open other files ok. I presume there's no way to repair the corrupt file ?

Hi and welcome to the forum!

Sadly, quite nothing to do I fear, see: 22 pages term paper replaced with pound signs.

Check the temporary folder of the system (see in OO Tools>Options>OO>Paths). If there are folders like sgmlf.tmp with a file having the same name inside, make a copy of that file, rename it in .ods (I hope you were saving in ODF) and cross your fingers.
Check also the backup folder in case you have a copy there, see: [Tutorial] The OpenOffice User Profile.

If you want to help fix this problem, you can also do this survey created for this very problem: Document Recovery Survey.

Thanks very much for trying to help. Your description of possible recovery options is I'm afraid, a bit too complex for a layman ( or stupid person) like me.
In the end I deleted and re-installed Open Office but that didn't help. I've since deleted the corrupted file and started a new diary starting the day following the loss. I have however completed the survey to the best of my ability. There was only one question that I couldn't answer.
On reflection, it was probably my own fault for doing a "Force shutdown" when the system appeared to hang for more than five minuted whilst attempting a restart.

Have you checked the temporary folder? When they are not wiped out, there are still chances to recover the files.
Anyway, backup, backup and backup!
If you've reinstalled, make also sure that the "Always create backup copy" is activated in the Load/Save options.

Yes, I've checked the temporary folder and there's nothing there.
I've now activated the "Always create backup copy" option so hopefully I won't have the same problem again.
Thanks again for your help.

Always take a few seconds longer than you have done before powering down (or sleeping/hibernating) your computer. The OpenOffice file is complex and take slightly longer to write than a flat file. When the process is interrupted such file loss can occur.

I think that's how it happened. I always (usually) do a normal orderly shut down but on that occasion, the shutdown seemed to hang for over five minutes. If it had been the normal night time shut down I'd have left it to finish on it's own but this was a restart and I did a "Force Shutdown". My own fault.

Unfortunately, this has happened again. I first reported this in March 2016 and it's happened a few times since then.
I've noted the comments re shut down etc. but it's only this particular file that's affected (other spreadsheets ok).
I find it hard to accept that this issue which has been reported many times over a long period of time cannot be fixed ?