File hangs LO in version 24.2 but fine in 7.5.9 (and before)

greyingrey · February 2, 2024, 1:56pm

I wrote my book with LO version 6.x on Windows 10. I since updated to LO 7.5.2 and all was fine. Yesterday I updated to the new version 24.2.0. Opening my book file caused Writer to hang after loading 67 of the 72 pages. I deleted my user profile in safe mode. No change. Deinstalled and installed 7.6.4 hoping that that would be stabler. Hangs exactly the same.

I tested on a Windows 11 laptop which also has version 7.6.4 installed and had the same problem.

I installed version 7.5.9 and everything worked perfectly again.

I suspect the endnotes don’t like something about newer versions. They’re contained in one large section, with a subject index placed afterwards. There are a few small images embedded in the main body of the book, the whole file is 3 MB, so too large to upload here.

To narrow down the problem I loaded some backup versions and detected this starts happening around August 2023. At that time I was experimenting with the subject index and placing it after the section containing the endnotes. All versions with the subject index first load fine, with them placed after, the program hangs.

Did the 7.5 versions handle this differently?

ajlittoz · February 2, 2024, 2:01pm

Can you reproduce this on a smaller version of your document (work on a copy!). Try removing text without notes to reduce size but still exhibiting the same problem.

If you consider your document confidential, I’ll give you instructions for private contact.

greyingrey · February 2, 2024, 2:27pm

I can’t even open the file to try without once again installing 7.5.9 and the reinstalling 24.2 to test. Could take forever more. I can send you the complete book in a private message if you’d be prepared to take a look. Thanks

ajlittoz · February 2, 2024, 3:14pm

Provided your document does not violates the upload limit, click on the icon left of my name. A pop-up appears with Message button.

greyingrey · February 2, 2024, 8:20pm

Thanks for the offer.
My file was too large for the Ask site despite being 1 MB below the maximum size cited.
But I reinstalled version 7.5.9.2 and I’ll continue troubleshooting this and possibly create a reduced file that displays the problem I’m having. Repeatedly installing different versions is doing my head in today. So more on this tomorrow.

Wanderer · February 3, 2024, 12:09am

It is possible to have more than one Version installed. On my Win10 the “separate install GUI” worked without problems. But if you have “troublesome” files wich may not open in some Versions, I recommend to add a good backup-scheme…

https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Installing_in_parallel/Windows

greyingrey · February 3, 2024, 12:27pm

Thanks for your help, but the site doesn’t like me. I deleted all the images in my file and got it to 1 MB, but the upload fails on the basis that it exceeds 4 MB.
I’ll leave it there. Life’s too short.

JeanMerdlapub · February 3, 2024, 12:38pm

I got the same problem yesterday trying to open a calc file created with the 7.6.4.1 Mac version (1.2 Mo on iCloud, MacOs Sonoma, MacBook Air ). It could not be open. I tryed on another file… SOS. The files could not be open.
They did open fine once the 7.6 version was back in the App Folder.
FYI I could create a new calc file using the 24.2 version… to be continued cause still under investigation.

ajlittoz · February 5, 2024, 3:21pm

Bug report at tdf#159574

Summary for visitors:

A section is inserted in order to allow more text/data after the end notes. By default, end notes are sent to the very end of the document. Using a section with option Collect at end of section allows to position the notes where author deems appropriate.

But, as soon as this request is made, Writer freezes. You can get a deferred freeze by ticking also Restart numbering. Freeze will occur on next load of the document.