Calc keeps losing data, seemingly randomly

[helpmeplease]

I have a worksheet that has 9 columns and about 16,000 rows, which is what I am using to keep track of my small business’s schedule/service call log. However, lately I have noticed that sometimes the “customer name” or “address” column is inexplicably “blanked out”, for portions of the spreadsheet.

This is somewhat terrifying to me, as a I have several years worth of service call history in this spreadsheet, and I need to be able to preserve it to:

A. - continue using LibreOffice Calc, but without the issue I am currently having.

B. - somehow migrate my data to some format where this won’t happen.

Is this a known bug, that sometimes data will just disappear from the middle of spreadsheets?

Please help me!

[erAck]

Never heard of disappearing data. Is that data just normally entered via keyboard, or …?
Does the problem reoccur when working with a restored backup of the file? (You do backup your data, don’t you?)

[riff92]

Did you find a solution to your problem? I noticed it happens when I ‘undo’ an action…

[MarkBC]

I recently ran into the same problem, and this answer seems to match my problem (tabs lost, both entirely and partial)

Bug 97597 - FILEOPEN: XLSX file on server opens with some blank tab pages (workaround: export MAX_CONCURRENCY=1)

[LogicDaemon]

Hi, I have experience helping users with such an issues with not just calc, but also with Excels from 97 till 2013, Google Spreadsheets and other editors.

Basically, this is caused by operator (user) error, when he accidentally types a space (or del) with active document and a selected cell. This occasional “blanking” is hard to detect by user, because he gets no message and his/her focus is on other subject and/or other screen area.

To check if this is the case, enable change tracking (Edit → Track changes → Record changes).

Two things I’ve developed to fight this behaviour:

• Use Data Verification (Data → Validity in Calc) to allow only values from list for whole protected range.
  Put single value in the list, which will never be entered occasionally, like ■ (Alt+254). This won’t change existing contents of cells, but will effectively deny accidental modification (to modify, user will have to explicitly disable verification, and enable afterwards).

• Use array formula to get values from hidden sheet.

Note that both methods require discipline, and will help if there are few editors, all of which are well interested in keeping date intact. Single “black sheep” still can remove a lot of data, and to protect it, you’ll need special information system developed, which will check permissions and editing rules. And for one, Calc (or any other spreadsheet) isn’t good base.

[riff92]

I noticed that this problem happens when I ‘undo’ an action. Lot of results from calculations disappear suddenly from my spreadsheet, as well as the corresponding bar charts.
I have enabled the change tracking like you suggested. Does that mean that when this pb happens again, I will be able to go back to before it does?
I dont really understand the Data Verification method: How does it prevent this problem from happening? Thank you very much for your help!

[mc]

I have had the same issue, my saved data randomly seems to disappear. Can anyone provide a solution ASAP? This is a major problem

Thanks

[marknznz]

I spend days over weeks building 4,000 line spreadsheet and pivot. At 3am this morning I finally finished it, saved it and went to bed. I got up this morning and I only has 130 lines left and some columns had changed.

It will take me days to rebuild this, I simply cannot believe this.