I can see my documents, but when I try to open them, I’m told they don’t exist. Please advise. Thanks
Let me fire up my crystal ball in the hope that it will tell me where you can see your documents. Maybe it will also tell me what is your operating system and version of LibreOffice in case that is relevant.
A situation which is often described like this: You see your file names in a “Recent documents” region, but the storage used has since been removed (disconnected) or changed its name.
There are different functions which may maintain a “Recent documents” list:
- With a document window open you can find LO’s list as “Recently used documents” in the File menu.
- In the start center (no document window) you can see them with a miniature preview.
- The system application menu may also show a list of recently opened files when an application is selected
- The file manager may have a “Recent” element with a list of such files
Does any of these fit your statement that “I can see my documents”? Those are the computer’s memory of “the way it used to be”. It is not guaranteed to still be this way.
If I did not present a match for your situation, explain in more detail (as per @robleyd’s comment) how you “see your documents”. The other details he mentioned also will not come amiss.
Thanks for your quick response. My OS is Windows 10 Home and LO version is 7.6.6.3(x86_64). I have to apologize for my computer inexperience. I may need more detailed explanations…thanks.
My problem seems to have started recently. I was able to save documents and see them at a later date. Now, when I try to see them, LO tells me that they don’t exist. The docs are listed, but I can’t open them.
Thanks for your response. I can see the docs in “Recently used docs” and as a miniature preview, but LO says that they don’t exist. I have to admit that my computer experience is limited. My problem is a recent event…it did not happen in the past.
Do you save to a USB stick? When you disconnect and reconnect USB storage, it is sometimes set to a different “storage device name”, so the path to the document is different from what LibreOffice remembers.
Do you use the computer from a guest account? Some configurations will wipe content from a guest account at every login. The “recent” list should be wiped also, but the setup may miss this step.
I don’t use the computer from a guest account, but I have saved the docs on a USB stick. Strangely, I can see the docs and open them while using the stick…and print the docs while using the stick. The only time I can’t do any of this is when I have LO open.
If you save to a USB stick then the file will only be available when the USB stick is mounted on the computer.
USB sticks aren’t a reliable storage medium for many reasons, not least the risk of corruption if removed incorrectly. Better to save to a folder on the computer and then copy to the stick for distribution or other purpose.
I didn’t have this problem before. Don’t know what I’m doing wrong! Am I to assume that it’s better not to save my docs with LO?
I don’t know what you were doing before and what you are doing now that is different but if you save to a USB stick then the file is only available when the USB stick is mounted in the computer. I think you need to learn a bit more about files and your operating system, see this wiki page for starters, File management - The Document Foundation Wiki
… better not to save my docs with LO?
- If your choice of Office suite is LO, you will be saving your docs with LO. Everyone around here does.
This is not causing the issue you are facing.
Don’t know what I’m doing wrong!
- Removable media (like your USB stick) will receive a “device letter” as the root of its file system path when it is connected. The same thing happens if the computer starts with removable storage already connected. The device letter is not guaranteed to be the same upon next connection of the same device.
- The “recent document” features will use the device letter in the identification of recent files. If your device receives a different drive letter next time, your document - as identified by path and filename - no longer “exists” because the path changed.
- File manager dialogs will display the volume name of the attached storage, and only show the drive letter in parenthesis (if at all). To you, the (persistent) volume name appears as the storage location, but on system level the (somewhat volatile) drive letter signifies location. This creates much confusion. You are not alone.
This is likely to be causing your issue.
Side note: This issue is typical of the Microsoft way to handle removable storage. Other platforms use the “unix way” where there is only one root of the file system. All removable storage is “mounted” in the same designated folder, and the “volume name” it carries is also the identifying path component.
Best practices
If you save directly to USB stick, that storage is going to be LO’s “workspace” for your document. Using removable media as workspace means that there is frequent read/write activity going on, which gradually deteriorates the storage medium. Your builtin storage device can typically withstand 10 - 100 times as many write/erase cycles as removable storage for each storage cell, and also does a better job of distributing the load across storage cells.
For better reliability, you should save your work-in-progress in builtin storage and keep it there while working. If you need to go back and forth between computers, or you are using a shared computer, use the file manager to copy your document back and forth between builtin workspace and attached “carrying device”.
If the computer you are using is also reliably connected to the internet, consider using cloud storage instead of USB stick. If confidentiality is an issue, you can use download/upload instead of actively synchronizing your cloud storage.
1 Like
… your local LAN, use file sharing to avoid wearing out your USB stick.
(I don’t know for Windows, but easy to do under Linux and MacOS)
1 Like
I want to thank for the help that I have received. I’m not too computer savvy. I find that some of the files that I have an .odt extension are saved and I can open them in OL, but there are also some files I can’t open ( “they don’t exist”) that have the same extension. I only save the files on my memory stick for convenience…I don’t do it automatically.
Thanks again.
1 Like