general input/output error keeps destroying my work

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#1

Hello all,
for several months and LO versions now (on Win10 64 bit), LibreOffice (both word and calc) keep destoring my work. Out of the blue I cannot save anymore and just get “general inputs/output error”. The file is then of zero size, destroying my work. I’ve read that deleting the LO user profile should help, and it does. The error is gone, then - until it reappers out of the blue some time later.

I’ve had it with this stupid problem! Just in the last two hours, I had to go back to an older backup (and the delete the profile) THREE times. The last time, this helped for just five minutes, after which I started writing this article.

Update: I wanted a practical, not a legal solution to my problem. But shame on me for not stating my wishes more clearly.

Back to the practical side:

  • I cannot use a program that corrupts my work at any moment. I just cannot save and backup my files after each key I press, just to make sure the program doesn’t corrupt my data.
  • LibreOffice is the only program I have used in the last five years that has consistently and repeatedly corrupted my files, to the point where i just saved empty files.
  • a simple google search shows that this has apparently been a problem with LO/OO for at least seven years.

All mumbo-jumbo about licenses - and hair-splitting about my apparent misuse of the word “guarantee” - aside, this is just unacceptable.

So I ask again: is there a practical solution to my problem that has a good chance of not leading to the problem reappearing the next time I blink?

If not, switching to Microsoft Office seems to be the only solution. I know no software is perfect, and I’m old enough to remember Office '97 malfunctions, but I haven’t about any MO error this severe in more than a decade.

Cheers, Michael.

Chyba při ukládání dokumentu Bez názvu 1: Obecná chyba. Obecná chyba vstupu/výstupu.
#2

There is no guaranteed solution.

#3

There also was never any guarantee concerning any software by MS or any vendor to work correctly. And in fact none does.
In addition: Working with Windws 10 you should consider that errors of the mentioned kind might be due more likely to the shortcomings of Win10 than to flaws in LibO (which also exist by the thousands, of course). And: Cui bono?

#4

Jugding from a few google searches, this has been a problem with LibreOffice since before it even existed (i.e. before it forked off OpenOffice), so I doubt it has anything to do with Win10 specifically. And if this one keeps appearing, why doesn’t anyone brother to fix/work around the problem, even if it might be Windows’ fault. Releasing software that corrupts úser files and not fixing it to me is far more damning than any theoretical “shortcomings” of Windows (that seem 2 be exclusive to LO).

1 Like
#5

Any problem must be reproducible to be able to fix. If you have steps that reliably lead to that, you are welcome to file a bug report that lists the steps. If a file is required from which those steps start, then attach it to the report.

#6

As I’ve mentioned several times now, the problem occurs out of the blue and disappears when removing the User Profile, only to reappear later without apparent relation to anything. The problem occurs both with writer and calc, in several versions, including the one I currently use (5.4.1.2 (x64)). This has happenen with both one-page documents and larger files, and has started at least once …

#7

… after only adding a single word to a document. The problem has occured on at least two different PCs, running two different versions of windows 10 (one runs 1703, i.e. the ‘Creators Update’ from last spring, the other is still on the previous version, build 14933). When this error occurs, the file I want to save is truncated. The file is still in memory, but can’t be saved on any drive, local or remote.

#8

As this error occurs at a random time, the only steps to reproducing it I can give is “use Writer or Calc and save regularly until it happens. The more you save, the earlier the problem appears.”

#9

https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=113138

#18

I was experiencing the same issue; spreadsheets were truncated upon save. Especially the bigger ones. Turned out, it wasn’t LibreOffice, but Dropbox that was truncating the files upon sync. That is probably why there were no issues with the smaller sheets, say less than 20 Kb. FYI - the truncated files (in my situation?) were reduced to 1.6 Kb. My first test was stopping the Dropbox daemon. That worked and prevented the files from getting corrupted when saving it. After moving the files from Dropbox to Drive (in combination with Insync) the issue disappeared. Hope this helps.

#22

I am having the same issue! These are my findings:

  • As soon as the window appears after hitting save, I hit File>Close. instead of hitting “Dont Save” on the window that pops up, hit “Cancel” and it will unfreeze the document.
  • Hit “Save as”, switch the filename and the doc type to “Filename.odt”.

This helped me save my doc. I do not know if it is reliable or holds up in your systems.

Hope this helps! I also have my files in Dropbox and edit out of the folder, could this be the issue? (see “Wilr” comment below)

#23

Very interesting. The implications seem pretty clear. At the risk of tempting fate, I will mention that I have never had the problem reported by @Hes and others. But neither do I use Dropbox or Windows 10. Saving before Closing a document is highly recommended.

#24

UPDATE: I should add that I am working in Linux (Xubuntu 16.04). Thus I do not think that it is a Win10 issue. I have disabled Dropbox while I work, the error has not appeared yet, thank god. I will resume Dropbox sync as soon as I save and close out of my doc.

#25

This solution worked for me. I am using Ubuntu v18.04 and LibreOffice Writer v6.0.7.3.

#10

If I search “the web” for ‘MS office license guarantee’ (or with ‘warranty’) I get lots of hits pointing me to offers to “buy” a license, but none pointing me to a guarantee of correctness regarding the software.
After searching for a MS support site containing links or something matching the subject, I find a page where I have to answer lots of annoying questions before I get anything.
Ok, I did it for MS Excel 2016 (well known for errors). Among lots of nonsense of the “legal” type I got this:

Quoting from an MS page (highlighting by @Lupp):

LIMITED WARRANTY – RETAIL

Microsoft warrants that properly licensed software will perform substantially as described in any Microsoft materials that accompany the software. This limited warranty does not cover problems that you cause, or that arise when you fail to follow instructions, or that are caused by events beyond Microsoft’s reasonable control. The limited warranty starts when the first user of your copy of the software acquires that copy, and lasts for one year. Any supplements, updates, or replacement software that you may receive from Microsoft during that year are also covered, but only for the remainder of that one-year period or for 30 days, whichever is longer. Transferring the software will not extend the limited warranty.

Microsoft gives no other express warranties, guarantees, or conditions. Microsoft excludes all implied warranties and conditions, including those of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. If your local law does not allow the exclusion of implied warranties, then any implied warranties, guarantees, or conditions last only during the term of the limited warranty and are limited as much as your local law allows. If your local law requires a longer limited warranty term, despite this agreement, then that longer term will apply, but you can recover only the remedies this agreement allows.
(End of quote)

What do you think about your chances to get anything based on this? Compensations for damages? You are kidding?

Again quoting from the above linked source (emphasis by MS themselves):
Except for any repair, replacement, or refund Microsoft may provide, you may not recover under this limited warranty, under any other part of this agreement, or under any theory, any damages or other remedy, including lost profits or direct, consequential, special, indirect, or incidental damages.
(End of quote)

May MS have a copyright for the license disallowing me to quote it? I won’t surrender this far.
By the way: Legislation an jurisdiction (in my case of Germany, but obviously also elewhere) failed from the beginning of a siftware market to adjust the rules. Rights of the “vendors”: All. Rights of the licensees: None.

#11

Thanks for intentionally misinterpreting my request. I have edited my original post to more cleary request what I’m searching for.

1 Like
#12

Thanks for hostile imputations.
We are not thinking the same way. A fact.
But it was you who started with general accusations of th kind “nobody cares”.

#13

I wanted a technical, not a legal solution to my problem. But shame on me for not stating my wishes more clearly.

Back to the practical side:

  • I cannot use a program that corrupts my work at any moment. I just cannot save and backup my files after each key I press, just to make sure the program doesn’t corrupt my data.
  • LibreOffice is the only program I have used in the last five years that has consistently and repeatedly corrupted my files, to the point where i just saved empty files.
  • a simple google search shows that this has apparently been a problem with LO/OO for at least seven years.

All mumbo-jumbo about licenses - and hair-splitting about my apparent misuse of the word “guarantee” - aside, this is just unacceptable.

So I ask again: is there a practical solution to my problem that has a good chance of not leading to the problem reappearing the next time I blink?

If not, switching to Microsoft Office seems to be the only solution. I know no software is perfect, and I’m old enough to remember Office '97 malfunctions, but I haven’t about any MO error this severe in more than a decade.

1 Like
#14

I haven’t any of the malfunctions you are reporting. The reproducibility @mikekaganski mentioned is the problem. Incomplete information may be another.
If your LibO user profile is corrupted again and again, the problem might be specific to your system. I’m working very much with LibO under Win10. And due to my contributing to forums I take some extra risks including cases where I have to force-close LibO. More than 1 case of UP corruption in a year I hadn’t. And I never lost documents.

#15

Having problems of the kind twice in an hour or so is very exceptional.

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