This is not a "normally" corrupted file !

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raf
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri May 28, 2010 4:17 am

This is not a "normally" corrupted file !

Post by raf »

Ok, i think i have a pretty particular problem i ll try to describe as precise as i can.

I work in a Mac 10.4 with Writer OOo 3.2.

I just close and odt filei was working in, from a usb, to open the file in a PC for printing. Once i try to open the file in the other computer, from same OOo 3.2 i got a dialog bos proposing my "Filter options ASCII" - which means, i guess, the format of the text change in between. Of course, no one of the option in the dialog box is able to open the document. When i try to go back to my mac to document will not open but just the dialog box. Which ever option i use i just get a totally uninteligible encoded text. I guess the filed got corrupeted in some point but i cannot either launch the recovery option cause OOo dont recognize any damage (as does Words, that cannot either recover the file) but just and encoded text.

I try the temporary files, the OOo back up but nothing so far...

Can anybody give me any tip or help ?

i ll be gratefull
raf
OOo 3.2
Mac. 10.4.11
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RoryOF
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Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2009 9:30 pm
Location: Ireland

Re: this is not a "normally" corrupted file ! Please help!

Post by RoryOF »

The file is corrupted on the USB device, for reasons no one has yet isolated definitively. It may be due to bad USB discipline, such as removing the device before delayed writes to it have taken place. Best advice is _never_ to work direct to a USB device, always to work locally, transferring the finished file to or from the USB unit and removing the USB device using the system's USB removal protocol.

The Ascii filter options occur because OOo is unable to read the detail of the file; in the circumstances of a corrupt file no selection of these options will help. If you are offered the Ascii filter selections go with the defaults offered. If the file displays as ######### then it is corrupted. If you get mixed garbage, then there is hope for using filter selection.

You misunderstand the recovery option of OOo: this is not for recovering a corrupted file. If OOo terminates abnormally (system or program crash), on next restart it may recognise this and offer to recover the file in progress at the time of the crash. How successful this is is variable, as often temporary files in use at crashtime may not have had a complete record of the document state at that time.

As you have found no OOo backup and no temporary files almost certainly your file is destroyed beyond recovery.
Apache OpenOffice 4.1.15 on Xubuntu 22.04.4 LTS
raf
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri May 28, 2010 4:17 am

Re: this is not a "normally" corrupted file ! Please help!

Post by raf »

Thanks.

I really apreciate this clarifications. Actually the display i get through the Ascii filter is a mix of the two options you describe. I get first some pages of ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ and then, in between a lot of blank space some mixed garbage #9Ó*êƒõû„Inff½¿>{ – but i already try all the filter selection... Is there anything else to do or this is the end of the road ?
raf
OOo 3.2
Mac. 10.4.11
User avatar
RoryOF
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Posts: 34586
Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2009 9:30 pm
Location: Ireland

Re: this is not a "normally" corrupted file ! Please help!

Post by RoryOF »

Rename your file, using system tools, to type .zip. Now try to open it with an archive manager. Most archive managers will open .zip; if you are not sure if you have one or not, try doubleclicking (or whatever you do on a Mac) the renamed file. It may open displaying a number of .xml files. The one you want is content.xml, which will contain as much of the content of the file as exists. You can copy this into a new Writer file and reformat.
Apache OpenOffice 4.1.15 on Xubuntu 22.04.4 LTS
raf
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri May 28, 2010 4:17 am

Re: This is not a "normally" corrupted file !

Post by raf »

Ok. I got all the .xml but content.xml is the corrupted one (the layout too), though it appears to have his content the unzipper cannot open it and add a comment :"Unsoported method of compression" - The result is i cannot extract the file neither make a copy... I keep trying cause it seems the content is someway still there...

In latest Winzip version, in a PC, i get again the content.xml file with a precise error message : "Error in file #1. Bad zip file offset (error local signature header not found) : disk # 1 Offset : 889"

Any idea how can i jump over that header or repar it ? I m quite desperate, as it seems.

Thanks.
raf
OOo 3.2
Mac. 10.4.11
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