I’m stumped; in an effort to save a copy of my database it has transformed itself into a text file. Curiously all previous backups have also magically become text files. The ODB file is still listed under “previous files”; but will not open. I’m not sure how I caused this. Is there any way to retrieve my database? Thanks!
First make sure your OS isn’t the cause and associating a .odb with Writer. If it is associated with Base then the following might help.
Your information is very limited but I’m thinking this was an embedded DB. You might try converting this to a Split DB with the method found in my answer on this post - click here. There’s a good chance of recovery.
Now I don’t recommend it, but is also shows how to arrive back at an embedded DB.
Thanks to you I was able to create the D/B back in Jan. Procedure is always the same: open the form; enter data; save file, close form; save file. Always worked…until, in preparation for establishing a new backup HD, I decided to “save a copy” of the DB for safekeeping. Something I did in that attempt caused ALL copies (it Backs Up EVERY day), to transform to a text file. The “recent files” selection under File menu reflects the presence of the ODB , which is still there, but it Will Not open.
I don’t see how backups from two months ago could have been altered retroactively; so I’m guessing that L/O has been told to open any ODB files as ODT files? It could be MacOs Sierra, or whatever they’re calling it now, but I suspect it had something to do with my trying to save a copy to a new location. Thank you, Ratslinger! SquirrelSlinger
Sorry, know very little about Mac OS. Still sounds like an association problem. Can you do an Open with (right click on file name) on the .odb and then select Base?
You should be able to use the Finder (Mac file manager) to determine the actual file extension; I’m not sure whether, like Windows, Mac defaults to hiding file extensions so you may have to toggle that. If the extension is correct (odb) then it is likely your file associations are an issue.
Like Ratslinger, I know little about MacOS but found info about the Finder via my favourite search engine 
As EasyTrieve explains below: this has nought to do with OS; it is Libre Office layering things to the point where I did not know where I was; and further there being no way to open a file which still exists. Very curious and quite frustrating. Open With does not work; there is no such option available: the requester defaults to Text file since my error, and Easy Trieve believes that there is no recovery possible. Thanks for all the help!
Sorry to see you give up. Save as has nothing to do with the problem. Yes it saves a copy of the form as a Writer document (Standalone uses this all the time) but it has no effect on the .odb file. Since you still have an .odb file it should open with Base - got to be the system.
As for the Open with on Mac, dozens of sites say it’s there. Here’s just one.
Posting your file may also help.
Ratslinger: no dispute: but I explained; each and every backup of that file is now an ODT instead of an ODB. I can indeed (right) click on a file and perform many things; but Open As ODB is NOT one of the choices. That is what is so puzzling about this. Before I went to save a copy of the file in question it had an ODB suffix, after I made the mistake which Easy Trieve identified, ALL instances, even to the backup files from 45 days ago now show an ODT suffix. It would seem reasonable that the f
If I can figure out how to post the file I will. I do not wish to give up; any and all help and suggestion is welcome. Thank you for your help; I mean it.JG
Sorry, but this makes absolutely no sense for every extension to change as such. I also believed based on question & remarks you had a file with .odb extension. One more thought - have you tried renaming the file extension from .odt to .odb and then try opening that? Or have you actually looked at the archive of the file?
Yeah. I want to see you get your file back.
OK. Did some more testing on Mint 18 with embedded DB. First, many tries with Save as on form & did not in any way do anything to the original .odb file. Second, changing the extension to .odt (from .odb) still opened the file in Base. Now, one of you comments states all these files now open in Writer with the look of the form. My confusion here is “What happened to the .odb?” since a “Save As” will not overwrite the original file.
Strange, but true. However! I also saved the work on another segment of the hard drive and THAT copy is still an ODB, and opens, and is useful (though not up to date), am experimenting carefully with how to copy it w/out destroying it. I must admit, this is a bit spooky. Thanks for your encouragement, I will write back shortly.
When you say “my database it has transformed itself into a text file”, what do you actually mean? What actually happens when you try to open your problem .odb file? For example, do you get a pop-up dialog asking you to select a FILTER. Are you saying that the Mac FILE EXTENSION ‘magically’ changes from .odb to .odt? One other question - have you updated your JAVA frameworks on your Mac prior to the problem appearing - either the run-time environment (JRE) or development kit (JDK) ?
@frofa From what I can piece together, he has been doing a Save as while still on a Form thinking it was saving a copy of the .odb as a backup and not paying attention to the extension saved. Then transferred all “backups” & another “copy” to a new disk and from what I can tell, not copying the current .odb file (just the incorrectly saved copy).
I am healed. Thanks to R/S and E/T. To Easy Trieve: after opening and using the Form to enter data, the menu offers a Save and a Close File. I have always done just that: save and close. Once the form is closed there is no more option to save! Thus was I lulled into using the “save copy as” selection from the Form menu. That is what caused this panic. Ratslinger; among other things I now am curious as to whether my (remote) hard drive might be acting up, or the Mac backup function; for what I cl
aimed is true: every single backup which has the file should read ODB, but they don’t: they are ALL ODT files, caused by my error. Something is not right about that. Could this be a case of Computer Gremlins? I have now saved copies of this and it’s brother (different camera) file in three different places and two different drives. Thank you both and others for helping. Can I award two stars? JG
Well, whatever the case, make sure future copies are saved properly. It’s not hardware. I believe you have been improperly saving the form (as mentioned by @EasyTrieve) and not the actual .odb file. Also, when transferring data to a new piece of hardware, test it before getting rid of the old.
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To Frofra and R/S. I had been saving correctly, but did not realize it; this is what I tried to explain to Trieve. While in the Form the menu selections are different than when in the D/B window (from which you select a form, a report, or a table). When in the Form there is no option to save the DB, only a save, which apparently does so, lucky for me. When I perceived the need to create additional backups of the file I selected Save Copy As from the form menu. This creates a text file overlay as