This is the guide - How to use the Ask site?

This is intended to help you use this website.
There will be additions to this website as we go along.
Bring a positive spirit to your posts, and thank you.

Attention, this is not a real question, but a description of how to use this Ask site.


Introduction / Basics

The community welcomes you.

Before you ask your first question, please read the FAQ.

Purpose of this site

This site is not a forum here, but a questions / answers site.
The site serves as a platform for sharing questions and answers.
Answers come in the vast majority of cases from users like you.

It allows LibreOffice community members to come together to ask and answer questions about LibreOffice TDF and related topics.

Comment fields should always be used to clarify communication. Answer fields are always reserved for solutions or for workarounds.

You will be notified when someone mentions your name preceded by @ or replies to your post.



Here with this guide (question) is explained how to use AskLibreOffice page.

This description is intended to be maintained and improved by the community.

So if you want to improve something, edit the text.

If you want to ask questions or write answers go to the home page with category

Are there any answers to my question yet?

Please search the website before asking a question.

To do so, please use the search box.

Click on the search icon ( loupe).
EN Loupe Icon
There you enter a search term, e.g. “Calc”.

You will be presented with a drop-down list where you can search for and select similar questions.

If there is nothing for you, ask a new question.

3 Likes
Ask/Getting Started from old to new?
After upgrade from 7.0 to 7.1 LO will not open
Where is the help on using Discourse, that is easily discoverable by users?
Personal messages
Error in exporting to PDF
New version Will not open
Would be useful to be able to Pin items to LibreOffice window
With LibreWriter 7,3 I click on remote files but after filling in the questions, I get a notice that it is not working
Connector text box disappearing (becoming invisible)
Nicht registrierte standardmäßige Dateiformate (message)
AskLO usability: search criteria
Windows 11 - File Explorer - Search Contents fails
LibreOffice Draw, save .otg with text boxes of the form
How to make elements visible in PDF but invisible at printing?
Temporary change line colour in DRAW
Text surrounded by lines?
Looping through nested list to populate sheet
In calc, when recording a macro, Macro dialog doesn't appear
Hyperlink: New Bookmarks not showing
"APSO - Alternative Script Organizer for Python" UI is broken
[suggestion] Display number of selected rows/columns regardless of the way they're selected
Design your own horizontal line paragraph style
How to convert ODG file to ODT using LibreOffice Draw
Supress display during processing
URL "target_blank" not working when exported to pdf
I have had a power surge and non of the documents I have on Libre will open. can you help
Writer - Forms - Can't open Control Properties
Ensure Upper case, Lower case matching while using Switch ()
Report - Summarize a detail field created by query
Newbie trying to make a fillable form
Report - Summarize a detail field created by query
Fehlermeldung bei Installation des Sprachpakets „Deutsch“
Application stopped and not loading at all
Getting Layers to Work
Pages don't end aligned, why?
Conditional formatting: match data validity errors
DBF file not open
How can I use Replace All to change the font size of a selected term in a document?
How to delete a reference used in table?
Base Form: How to make one input field mandatory if the value entered in another field is less than zero
How to change page numbering
Libreoffice Base ID auto increment problem printing reports
Install Error 7.2.5.2 - Warning 1946 - Can I fix this manually?
Calc crashes since 7.5 update when using Wingdings font in date validity
Broken Dropdown menu
Printer stop error using Libre Draw
Conditions could have an explanation comment attached
Failure of average function to calculate correctly
Needed: Impress in Normal and/or Slide Sorter view: Display synchronously at least 2 slides side by side at detailed resolution
The words in libreoffice writer are hidden
Paste unformatted text - does not work
Photos appearing in Draw
Test data for calc
Change default print setting from "Automatic" to "Portrait"
Have Calc list the option to Save As Tab Separated Values?
Broken image form?
EarnestAl, trying to reply but the forum isn't letting me comment any more
How to implement a uno:GotoLine Dispatcher in a Grid on a Dialog
Move endnotes to the end of the article
How do I set a full page background in Writer?
Document saved as garbage
How to get Find to actually find what I type in and not a million variations that use those letters somehow? (Ver 7.4.1.2 on Win7 64bit)
Download page giving wrong impression to users
Get hyperlinks inside OLE spreadsheet to work
Heading 1 numbering restarts from 1 in the middle of document after having incremented to 3
2 databases lost all data
How can I use Replace All to change the font size of a selected term in a document?
Small template inside of sheet
LO Writer misses to paste "merge formatting" like MS Word (Deutsch: Einfügen Format zusammenführen
Paste Special of Fontwork Objects with Macros
End note will not open when I click on the number in the body of the text
LibreOffice is in read mode; how to get to edit mode
Writer is not displaying documents correctly (Linux)
Issue with column width arrows of table properties dialogue
All my docs open minimized
Writer freezes :
How Do I Add Insert Anchor To The Context Menu?
How do I sort lines alphabetically?
Bullets Default color is always white
Adding right click options in context menus
7.4 Dark Mode is a disaster
Impress text box not showing in Powerpoint
Cannot set background color in libre calc
How do I remove the dark background from the menus?
Libre Base Error
New user - excel spreadsheet edits not being saved properly
?Switch Libre from Disk C to Disk D?
MALWAREBYTES report PUP in Libre files when trying to print
I cannot get a new impress document
Writer crashing frequently when I use the Find function
Column format display issue
Macro to copy data between MariaBD database tables
Some PDF files will not open in LO Draw
Cannot type in text
Need help with a checkbox setup or maybe other solution (Very New)
Highlighting lines of text automatically
Transparent png not exporting to PDF correctly in Draw
Correcting abnormal large text appearance and lack of word wrap
Calc border and inner line draw order TAGS: CALC
Lists (a, b, c, etc.) in a document have disappeared
Poor colour rendering
Bookmarks Feature
Read Error. Format error discovered in the file in sub-document content.xml at 2,321994355(row,col)
How to overtype using a different color font
Writer: new style from selection automatically created as conditional and can't be changed
Show columns on formatted writer page
How to get libreoffice to find Java JRE file?
Calc Find and Replace [Fax:]
The forum's front page does not help one to see how one can post questions in English
Cropping a stacked area chart
Mime icon is missing as always after new installing
New formatting tools for files?
New LibreOffice download tool bar not working
Problem with paragraph alignment in Writer
White Border around document when exporting a Calc File to a JPEG or PDF
[ feature request ] please improve the interface
TOC (Index) has letters instead of page numbers
Paragraph skips page
Relocating and resizing images within a text document
When using Record, Deleted text disappearing instead of Red-Lining, Please help!
How to change code LibreOffice impress and draw to achive translucent effect top layer text on vidoe object
How do I edit the text in an L/O .odt text document?
Ask/Getting Started from old to new?
Ask/Getting Started from old to new?
Numbered list with variable lettered sublists in writer
Font color of specific row keeps reverting
[FEATURE REQUEST] LibreOffice Writer - Review > Combine multiple documents with comments funtion (MS Word similar)
Ask/Getting Started from old to new?
Questions about poor sorting
Using date separators in forms
Stock-chart not saved correctly
Ask/Getting Started from old to new?
Ask/Getting Started from old to new?
Image in docx with wrap set to "behind text" works fine in microsoft but broken in libre
Lightproof not installed with 7.2.3.2
Main menu overlapping top menu bar, how to hide or fix?
Copy paste heading 3 and table , pastes to new page
Ask/Getting Started from old to new?

Ask a question

To do this, click on “+ New topic” in the top bar.

EN Button New Topic

The “Create a new topic” dialog appears.

In the “Type title, or paste a link here” line, enter as short a title as possible for the question.

In any case, avoid entering the entire content of your question in the “Title” line.

If you create your question in the “English” category, “English” will appear automatically.

To the right of “Select at least 1 item”, you can select one or more keywords, e.g. “Writer”, “Calc”, “Date format”, “Crash”, etc. This will make the search easier later.

In the question description, you can and should provide detailed information about your question.

Your details should also reflect what you are trying to accomplish.

Within the question opened for editing you can work with the following modifications:

EN Question opened for editing - with description

You can help us understand you better.

Please do not use references or comparisons to other software packages.

Most of the responders do not know them, because they mostly work with LibreOffice for many years.

Also, please do not use acronyms that are not commonly known.

Avoid writing entire sentences in capital letters, this is generally interpreted as shouting.

If you want to provide additional information, please prefer to append an Example-document but not taking Screenshots.

Thank you for your consideration.

More details

Please be sure to specify your operating system, LibreOffice version (at least 3 digits with dots, e.g. 7.1.3) and the file formats used.

If LibreOffice can still be started, you can enter the following information (here only as an example):

202108_EN Version Informations

by copying Help>About LibreOffice from the menu.

In the following dialog click on the button next to “Version information”.

Your information will be saved to the clipboard of your computer system and you can use it to complete your description for the question.

Depending on the question, further information may be required: other file formats, printer and type, interfaces, network connections, etc.

Bar below a question

The bar offers you the options described in the images.

202108_0101EN Bar below a question

If you click on “Show more”, you will have more options.

Feature requests

Feature requests should go directly to Bugzilla as Enhancements.

Bugs

Bugs should be submitted directly to Bugzilla.

What is a bug?

  • Program crashes
  • Loss of function of a previous version of LibreOffice.
  • Performance problems (slow loading / processing; jitter; operations that take longer than in a previous version of LibreOffice).
  • During submission, the keyword “perf” should be added.
  • Unexpected behavior (note: this can be subjective)

Private information

How do I add to my question?

As a questioner, you edit the original question to add and clarify something.

To do this, click the pencil icon just below your question.
EN Pencil Icon
Alternatively, you can also write a comment.

Within the question opened for editing you can work with the following modifications:

EN Question opened for editing - with description

Write an answer

Write an answer to the question in such a way that it is also generally understandable.

An answer should always contain a solution or at least a workaround.

For other things, such as questions or additional information, please use the comment function.

How do I mark an answer as solved?

Below each answer you will find a bar with different icons.

202108_0101EN Bar below an answer

Click on the small square with the check mark, to the left of the “Solution” letter.

After that, the icon will be displayed in green.

202108_02EN Bar below an answer

How can I vote on answers?

Click on the arrow pointing up to vote on answers.

202108_01DE Stimme für Antwort

Only one vote is allowed per answer and user.
Answers that have been voted on are marked with the corresponding number of votes.

202108_02DE Stimme für Antwort

The top bar

In the top bar on the left is the LibreOffice logo.

If you click on it, you will see a page with all categories in a summarized overview.

With the Search icon you initiate the search.
EN Loupe Icon
When entering words (tags), you will be offered suggestions.
Select the most suitable one for you.

Next to it is the icon “Switch to another topic list or category”.
202108_EN Hamburger menu Icon

The top table header of the page

In the top table header you can see the category, e.g. “English”.

If you click on it you can select another category.

The selection of keywords follows.

Click on the small arrow.

In the Drop-down list you can search for a keyword or select a keyword.

In the next selection field you can choose the questions to be displayed according to the category “all”, “solved” or “unsolved”.

EN Drop-down Category all solved unsolved

In the next field you can switch between “Latest” and “Top”.
EN Latest or Top
On the right side you can click on “+ New topic” to ask a new question.

On the far right is the bell icon.
EN Bells icon

Click on it to set the watch mode and read what it means.

There you can choose between “Watching”, “Tracking”, “Watch first post”, “Normal” and “Muted”.

EN Watching

3 Likes
Default Text Box File Save
SWITCH function shortcuts to #N/A
One more conditional formatting issue
Installing in AWS EC2
Installing in AWS EC2
Bold text is in cyrillic
Connector text box disappearing (becoming invisible)
Nicht registrierte standardmäßige Dateiformate (message)
Open Office doc migration - blank hyperlinks, page boarders, headers
Bad image quality after rotating image in LibreOffice Impress
How to convert png files to text pages for a Writer doc?
Windows 11 - File Explorer - Search Contents fails
New extensions list
External data corrupted and refresh issue
LibreOffice Base Autofilling Junction Table
Can't delete input fields in writer - they are like zombie vampires
Line numbering in part of a document only
LibreOffice v7.2.5.2 crashes when i open a .CSV file
Impress hyperlink to an executable with its commandline argument
Where to report a bug in a pre-release version?
Delete versus cut graphics action
DDE link not working 7.4.5
Divide number in %'s
LibreOffice Draw, save .otg with text boxes of the form
Libreoffice usage Error in Manjaro Linux
Copy does not work
MS Office RGB colors to LibreOffice CMYK colors
LO files uploaded to OneDrive are corrupted from mac
Impress failed to play embedded video
Track changes mysterious colours
Text surrounded by lines?
Problem exporting to XLS format
How to save cursor position in Writer?
Trying to place two maps in a heart shape in LibreDraw
Validating Credentials / Account Credentials dialog box pops up in Calc, never hapened before. Is a major pain in the butt
LO 7.1 High CPU spike in Print, Options, Paragraph dialog use (see images)
LO 7.1 High CPU spike in Print, Options, Paragraph dialog use (see images)
How to convert ODG file to ODT using LibreOffice Draw
Adding custom page number format
Unable to change file permissions on my manuscript
URL "target_blank" not working when exported to pdf
I have had a power surge and non of the documents I have on Libre will open. can you help
The upper bound of the for loop
COUNTIFS with "<>" expression and empty value returns different result in Windows and Linux, how do I fix it?
After upgrade, a couple of things are broken
Maintaining Font in DOCX to PDF Command Line Conversion - Ubuntu Server 20.04
Possible bug in LibreOffice Base
LibreOffice Impress 7.3.5.2 will not hold text box position and size
First three words are not a sentence
Request for Sort Dialog change
Phone cell format with or without "+"
Reordering Conditional Formats (Not Conditions)?
Dark Mode and Tool Bar
Writer function to remove cropped image parts?
Changing Slide In LibreOffice Impress
DRAW: Sticking drawing points
Application stopped and not loading at all
Old split hsqldb won't connect in new Linux Mint 20.2 and LO 6.4.7.2
Assigning functions to shortcut keys
Getting Layers to Work
Cannot save Draw file
Calc - Lock cell content before formatting to text, how?
New version of Impress screws up 10 years of saved presentations? :(
Connector lines not straight
How do I submit suggestions in improving LO Writer?
Round Down is Rounding Up
Convert odm to pdf using via cli
Writer memory leak (LibreOffice 7.3.0)
How to sign macros in "My Macros"
How to change page numbering
Libreoffice Impress: The gradient angle always automatically returns to the default value
Porting workbooks from Excel to Calc
Formula bar issue
Calc crashes since 7.5 update when using Wingdings font in date validity
MSI Installers issue
File extensions
Printer stop error using Libre Draw
Any hope LO will actually run on High Sierra?
How do you get syntax highlighting, and parenthesis scope in the equation/formula bar?
Protocol for creating a spreadsheet with compatible formatting for Excel?
LibreCalc: change default date format: feature request
Hyperlink: New Bookmarks not showing
Why can't I resize math formulas in Impress?
Failure of average function to calculate correctly
Can I save print properties with a document?
The words in libreoffice writer are hidden
Paste unformatted text - does not work
All Headings are numbered 0
Printing problem
Cannot turn AutoRecovery off
Libre calc calculations
"Version incompatibility" "incorrect file version" when opening pdf
Bug/regression with kashidas in 7.5.0.3 - but thread-starter no longer interested / therefore his "Please close this account"
Double-click doesn't select the space after a word. Can I change it?
How do I insert and display a pdf into a Calc spreadsheet?
Broken image form?
Move endnotes to the end of the article
EarnestAl, trying to reply but the forum isn't letting me comment any more
Change the size of multiple shapes at once?
Is LibreOffice an online application?
Document saved as garbage
ReDim on custom type containing dynamic array
Vertical text in Word document doesn't convert to PDF
Feature Request: Save the last configuration of the "Send Email Messages" Mail Merge dialog
Random Cell backgroud color after conversion from Lotus123
How to convert from Writer to pdf without distortion
MacOS-wide keyboard behavior on accents ignored/suppressed
Heading 1 numbering restarts from 1 in the middle of document after having incremented to 3
Impress Presentation Times-Out During RDP
2 databases lost all data
Sheet name having a Ø ø symbol won't show
Justified text and forced line breaks in docx document
How to search for subscript
Image placement and display discripancies when MS Word document with image viewed/exported to PDF using LibreOffice
Docx writer document table content background coloer
How do I upload a sample file
Fourier transform - transform data to DFT and reconstruct it with IDFT in Libre Calc
LO Writer misses to paste "merge formatting" like MS Word (Deutsch: Einfügen Format zusammenführen
Trouble converting large excel spreadsheet
It is different at the binary level
Libreoffice update always wipes out my default settings
Localized shortcuts? (Why do I have to use strg+shift+f for bold?)
Writer is not displaying documents correctly (Linux)
How Do I Add Insert Anchor To The Context Menu?
All my docs open minimized
Crashing upon Specific Task
Can not start Libre after installing 7.4 upgrade
How do I sort lines alphabetically?
LO not saving documents completely
Bullets Default color is always white
The automatic download of the update is currently not available
LibreOffice Calc macro to select specific cells, find regular expressions and replace
No autosave by default; are you guys high?
Has anyone else observed a change in the frequency of crashes?
*The Case of Missing OLE Objects*
Named Functions - Reduce Formula complexity / Low hanging Fruit to enable functional Programming in Calc
Calc Special paste process works as slowly on column with vlookup formulas
Must click the mouse when opening a writer doc, otherwise keyboard short cut Ctrl+f does not work
Impress text box not showing in Powerpoint
Cannot set background color in libre calc
Writer: how to change the external tool to edit images
Insert file into LO writer doc
New user - excel spreadsheet edits not being saved properly
Libreoffice calc Tabbed layout is too compact (visually complex)
5.5" x 8.5" Paper
Add regex support to find
Images SHRINK itty bitty when exporting a text document to PDF
MALWAREBYTES report PUP in Libre files when trying to print
Problems with other files after using --headless
Column format display issue
Bibliography does not update after changing entry structure
Ctrl+Shift+U+hexcode not working in Writer comments on Ubuntu - bug or feature?
Librecalc solver cant do products
Some PDF files will not open in LO Draw
Need help with a checkbox setup or maybe other solution (Very New)
Unable to use RETURN key when using conditional format
Support for search and run commands
LO and Defender Mitigations
Highlighting lines of text automatically
Comments with Author name but without date and timestamp?
Is this bug? broken table content in pdf/printing when enumeration is enabled
Libre Office 7.3.2 cannot copy bank content + paste to writer as characters are lost and not correct
Libreoffice Writer - Some marks in the Unicode font shows dotted circle
Transparent png not exporting to PDF correctly in Draw
Does multi-threading only work in Calc?
Correcting abnormal large text appearance and lack of word wrap
Calc border and inner line draw order TAGS: CALC
Sort won't save in xlsx
Circular image contains a rectangular frame while converting from pdf to word
Lists (a, b, c, etc.) in a document have disappeared
Poor colour rendering
How to modify colour of line?
Why does LibreOffice Calc take so long to save changes to a file?
Read Error. Format error discovered in the file in sub-document content.xml at 2,321994355(row,col)
Read Error. Format error discovered in the file in sub-document content.xml at 2,321994355(row,col)
Writer 'New Window' disabled
Japanese Furigana does not work as I want them to
How to overtype using a different color font
Can libreoffice show CND window when i boot up my PC, or is libreoffice responsible for this action?
Must all Basic calc macros be in "Standard?"
Show columns on formatted writer page
How to get libreoffice to find Java JRE file?
Two-key sequences
How to set Writer Paragraph Gradient Transparency using macro?
Creating List Formats
Calc Find and Replace [Fax:]
Styles are updated automatically while I open Writer document
Cropping a stacked area chart
Mime icon is missing as always after new installing
Comment box does not point to the correct cell
New formatting tools for files?
SVG support in LO Writer
New LibreOffice download tool bar not working
Rulers and tabs in Calc cells
Please add support for SI prefixes in number formats
When will the program-code of Libre Office allow preview of ODT-1.2-files in Windows (File-)Explorer Preview Pane without having (newest) MS Word installed?
Blank page or envelope printed by LOwriter v7.3.7.2
White Border around document when exporting a Calc File to a JPEG or PDF
Font isue in Calc
[ feature request ] please improve the interface
Cursor pops to *beginning* of word
TOC (Index) has letters instead of page numbers
Paragraph skips page
Converting Xlsx documents
Calc: How to change conditional formatting priority
When using Record, Deleted text disappearing instead of Red-Lining, Please help!
Writer: new style from selection automatically created as conditional and can't be changed
How do I edit the text in an L/O .odt text document?
Heading and body text styles getting switched around
Special characters are missing
Avoiding updates for help in non-wanted languages
LibreOffice 7.3.3.2 (x64) "not responding" in Windows 10
Font color of specific row keeps reverting
Can Libreoffice import old Adobe Pagemaker .pm6 files
Print Ranges fail to Save
How to define print area in calc LO 7.2.6.2
Need help turning off autocorrect in LibreOffice Calc
Stock-chart not saved correctly
Using date separators in forms
How to determine and use Process IDs of the different LibreOffice programs?
Main menu overlapping top menu bar, how to hide or fix?
How to create and Save Customized Bulleted List?
Calc: Convert Image URLs To Actual Images - sometimes it doesn't work
Locked document file
Libreoffice 7.2.2 crashing during start

Discourse understands multiple ways of formatting (Markdown, BBCode and HTML), of which Markdown is the most convenient. See this Markdown Reference and tutorial and a Cheat Sheet and there also basic and extended syntax. And of course the original Markdown Syntax by one of its creators John Gruber.

A common task when formulating questions or answers is to create tables, for which specific help and an online table generator exist. The best method is though, that you can just copy-paste a cell range of a Calc spreadsheet that is automatically converted to markup, using the first row as column headers, like

Name Number
foo 1
bar 2
baz 3

When pasting code or spreadsheet formula expressions please format it as code to prevent misrepresentation of inline text formatting characters like the * asterisk (for italics or bold) and replacements of " quote characters with typographic quotes like “here”.

Format short inline expressions as `expression` by enclosing them in backticks or grave.

Fenced code blocks are formatted with three backticks on their own line before and after the code block:

```

Usually a simple ``` without any trailing text (not even blanks) on its own line does some nicely automatically coloured formatting. One can force a language syntax like

```cpp

```bash

```python

```xml

```java

but apparently not for Basic. Function blocks in a Basic code block containing the keywords EndIf or Wend somehow lead to an ugly all red formatting, so if possible avoid them and use End If instead, or Do...Loop which is cleaner than While...Wend anyway (see While...Wend Statement). Also reportedly with Dim var as Variant the (unnecessary) as Variant can lead to an overall-red formatting. Using

```text

though forces a code block to monochrome to workaround.

To get correct coloring of Basic code with a plain

```

apparently the forum engine wants to see at least one comment starting with an ' apostrophe.

6 Likes
Create a shortcut on desktop
Can typographic quotes be switched off for ask.libreoffice.org?
Calc, efficiency gap, external workbook, parametric URL
Err504 in If formula
Calc, efficiency gap, external workbook, parametric URL
Export .pdf file that shows tracked changes
WEBSERVICE authorization in URL
Help with converting VBA code to Calc code
Sum function and Math Equation Help
How to add/remove a duration in seconds to a datetime field, ex: 2023-01-16 22:50 + 865secs?
Calc: Delete button created via macro via macro
Anyway thoose macros work in Libreoffice too?
Calc VBA Cell.Formula = "...", Formel nicht ausgewertet
Are some actions disallowed in CALC Macros?
Updating cells with "last date used"
Webservice Returns #Value from Valid Url
=if()elseif() help?
=if()elseif() help?
Hyperlinks Not Functioning Properly
Get filename from a cell
Sorting across rows in libreoffice
How to filter out rows with formula?
Spreadsheet Cells Will Only Show Formula Not Results
Dies ist die Anleitung - Wie benutze ich die Ask Seite?
Substitute wizard produces error when quotes are involved
Modify User Defined Data in A Function
Query with like using a parameter to a MSSQL database
How to open a subform from a searchform via doubleclick
Need help changing working code
How to manipulate the web browser based on data in libre calc?
Conditional Statements IF, THEN with 3 Conditions
Calculating value from math in different cell
Using indirection to calculate a variable cell reference in SUMIF and COUNTIF
Setting Default Styles for Writer
How to write data into NamedRange
Macro doesn't work properly from button, but works from macro presssing F8
How to add a "scale sheet to fit number of pages" button?

How can I change my password for Ask-LibreOffice?

You can reset (i.e. reassign) your password during the login process.

  1. start Ask-LibreOffice in your internet browser and choose your preferred language.



  2. click on the “Log in” button.



  3. the login page will open. Click the “Reset my password” button.



    If you have changed your password, you can log in again as usual.

1 Like