Libre Office keeps crashing when opening one .docx file

Hi there!

I am writing an essay, pretty long, multiple (large) pictures in it, in .docx format in LO Writer. Yesterday when I notices some where not visible and wanted to re-add them, LO crashed. Now, I can’t open this one file in LO anymore. LO just crashes on startup and asks me to restart in safemode. Even then, it crashes when trying to open that file.
I was able to open it in Word, save it in .odt and opening it in LO again, but in Word and now with the .odt file, all my settings for chapters and headings etc. are gone and I have to set it all over again. Which is horrible.

Is there anyway to fix the broken .docx file to open it in LO again?

Please what is your LibreOffice version?

It is 5.3.4.2

I am writing an essay, pretty long, multiple (large) pictures in it, in .docx format in LO Writer.

You should not have done that. See here: [Tutorial] Differences between Microsoft and AOO/LO files (View topic) • Apache OpenOffice Community Forum

Have you activated: Tools menu > Load/Save > General > [x] Always create backup copy ?

If not, it is a hard way to gain back the contents and structure of your text.

And in the end:

  • Working on large files on LibreOffice
    Writer always should have an odt file
    as output. DOC or DOCX for exchange,
    only export when finished. Further
    work always on odt file, so no
    conversion and reconversion is to
    manage for Writer.
  • Always save different versions, time stamp can be helpful; so you never lose the entire content but “only” some hours of hard work.

Cheers

Yeah, I guessed that may be a problem. Just wanted to maintain instant compability with my laptop (with only Word on it). When I think about it, it’s really dumb tbh. I learned my lesson I think. Thanks for that fast respond.

No, I didn’t have that option enabled. I set all structures again manually. But one thing is bugging me still: the numbering of chapters starts from 1 in the middle of the document. Thats right after I put a heading with a custom format. I didn’t have that problem before.