New version and calc displays are fouled

[And see addendum below – how can I roll back to an earlier version? this is unworkable]

First, I have online updates turned off. This morning I have problems with calc (below) and then I see a banner that says I’m running 7.5 for the first time. How did that happen? Software updates usually are ok, including LO, but I always have it turned off because of the following.

Second, I have a spreadsheet to hold passwords and other acct info. Very important file. Mostly text.

Today I cannot read multi-line cells. What could be 2-4 lines over-write each other. Some are formatted to wrap, and some have hard returns (^-enter) in them. Same appearance.

If I (1) toggle the wrap off and (2) remove all hard returns, I can see the first part of the text. Because of this, the file is barely usable except with a lot of finagling.

Third, the vertical alignment is off. Many cells are set to center content top-to-bottom. In 1-line cells with default height, the top of the text is readable but cut off. If I toggle vertical alignment off, the bottom of the text is readable but cut off.

3 addenda:

  • In another ods file, some multi-line text cells work and others are over-written.
  • In another ods file, links to external files don’t work.
  • When opening a cvs file, the text in the import dialog are over-written.

I would guess that your user profile got partially corrupted. This could trigger the update notice, even if the software wasn’t updated.

In this web page, LibreOffice user profile - The Document Foundation Wiki , there is a description of a few ways how you could test with a new user profile. The easiest is to click Help - Restart in safe mode - continue in safe mode and test if Calc operates correctly. If it does, then choose LibreOffice, rename your user folder to user2023-10-28 or similar. Start LibreOffice so it can create a new user folder and then choose it. Copy back the useful sub folders to overwrite the the new ones

Latest – after a couple hours looking into backing up profile and rolling back version, I went to show my wife the problems and they were gone. Links to outside files work, and multi-line text cells don’t overwrite. Technology is wonderful when it works.

Use the download page from LibreOffice.org and scroll down to the sentence

Older versions of LibreOffice (no longer updated!) are available in the archive

and find/follow the link on the word archive. Caution, if you use special versions like snap, appimage or use now an LibreOffice distributed by a Linux-distro.

Quite difficult to say, as you don’t tell anything of your system…

Thanks. 7.5.6.2 dtd 8/31/23 is the previous version shown. I don’t know what to do with these but I’ll guess.

I guess that I want x86_64 and not aarch64 or x86. I don’t know what the last 2 are. Most of the files in /libreoffice/old/7.5.6.2/win/x86_64 are helppack, sdk, and the one at the top https://downloadarchive.documentfoundation.org/libreoffice/old/7.5.6.2/win/x86_64/LibreOffice_7.5.6.2_Win_x86-64.msi. I dnloaded that and clicked it, and it said I need to uninstall. Wish I’d known that. Going to hold off for now.

Re how did I get a new version even if I didn’t ask for it – I don’t know what system info you need so I’ll guess. No special config just download the commonly used one and install. While I configure certain defaults, I just like to use my technology and not spend time under the hood.

What else?

Edition Windows 11 Pro
Version 22H2
Installed on ‎5/‎6/‎2023
OS build 22621.2428
Experience Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.22674.1000.0

image.png

Have you restarted your computer? There was an interim update recently. Click Start menu - Restart Windows (not Shut down).

If LibreOffice still not right, then it could be:

  • your anti virus blocking alteration of files in user file. Avast/ AVG has been very/ over aggressive recently in Windows and Android. Add soffice.bin to the allowed list.
  • your user profile has been corrupted.

LibreOffice does not update automatically on Windows.

If a new version really was installed automatically then look at the settings in your anti virus program suite. Norton sometimes includes an automatic program updater, make an exception there for LibreOffice and any other apps you don’t want updating. I would have thought that AV would update to latest fresh version, 7.6.x however so this seems to be an unlikely scenario