On 9/9/26 I updated Libre Office from 24.8 to 26.8. Now when I try to open any existing spreadsheet, I get a pop-up that says “E:\XYZ.ods is not ready.” (Using XYZ here as an example of an actual spreadsheet name.) The computer runs Windows 10. I had been using Libre Office 24.8 since 8/29/24 with no problems. Thoughts?
Are other files available on that drive, to programs other than LibreOffice? You might elaborate on the drive; is it e.g an external drive, or one of several internal?
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I’m not particularly tech savvy, but I think it’s an internal drive. The computer is a Dell Optiplex 3020. I had forgotten that the previous - possibly original - SSD failed in August & was replaced on 8/19/26 by a repair company. The new SSD is an SK Hynix Silver S32 SSD, 500 GB (info from its box). They returned the failed one, which is a 120 GB Hitachi, model HTS5442512K9SA00., bearing the date MAY-08.
Again, are other files available on that drive, to programs other than LibreOffice?
As far as I know, everything on the computer is on that drive, including things I don’t even recognize that came with the computer, most of which have been there as long as I have owned it. The only things I ever added are CCleaner, Cannon Print, DuckDuckGo, and Discord, all of which I have had for over a year, although I did re-install DuckDuckGo on 8/2/26.
The question is can other programs access files on that drive? In other words, you need to try to open other file types on that drive, e.g. start with text files opening in Notepad and then try other programs, then report back.
This seems very unlikely, as ‘the things that come with the computer’ are normally found on drive C: but your error related to drive E: which is a separate drive.
Tell us also how you are trying to open the spreadsheets, e.g. by double click, from within LibreOffice, via shortcuts on the desktop.
Don’t think but check (unless you are a wizard):
Open Windows Explorer and go to This PC, it should show the available drives. If E: is not there it
- is broken?
- was a portable drive, usually via usb connection
- in older times there were CD/DVD-drives
- Network-shares? (Perhaps a NAS.)
- “Secure” drives, may need passwords or authenticatio before use
An old layout (including floppy disk and dvd) you may see in the first picture at this link to learn.microsoft:
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E: does not seem to be there, and I don’t know why. C: is the only drive I can find. There was never a separate drive. I always opened the spreadsheet by opening LibreOffice and double clicking the desired item. The computer has not been networked since I bought it in 2023. EarnestAl suggests opening text files in Notepad; I have never heard of Notepad & don’t see it anywhere on my computer. All my LibreOffice text document are on the C: drive and work fine.
Okay, this infers you are using the recent documents list in the Start Centre to try and open XYZ.ods; where XYZ.ods means any of your problem spreadsheets. When you hover your mouse pointer over one of the spreadsheets, the stored filename with its full path should show as a tool tip, like the image below. What do you see?
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Never? How can you be sure? I’m not convinced, because of
Did they recover your files or have you lost them?
They may have replaced your ssd and installed from an external drive D using E as source of your files.
PS: No separate drive, never networked. How do you do backups?
The most common fault in electrical systems is a defective or poor plug connection – for example, one that is corroded.
Eureka!
I forgot that I had a thumb drive on the computer when I took it in for repair. The shop had me remove it so they couldn’t lose it on me. When I plugged it back in, still no E: drive; the computer now calls it D: . So I checked the contents of D: and found my spreadsheets there. LibreOffice still wouldn’t open them since it was looking for them on E: but I had no trouble opening them from the content list of D: . It seems removing the thumb drive and later replacing it caused the computer to relabel it from E: to D: . Further, now when I save them, it saves them on the C: drive, which it apparently never used to do.
Thanks for all your help. Did I mention I hate computers?
A word of warning, thumb drives are not a good place for reliable long term storage. Please see Preventing data disaster - The Document Foundation Wiki
Yes, but this guy had a failing builtin ssd and his data survived on the non reliable thumb drive.
But not having any backup is a failure itself (in my opinion). But if the person may not even remember having a backup, even a sophisticated backup solution will not help much.
No, you wrote
and so I will not try to explain how to name/mount your thumb drive as E:\
Unlikely. I think your old drive had two “partitions” named C and D. The thumb drive will take the next free letter.