Corrupt Sheet 1 - OpenOffice Calc

[Susan Gatewood]

Somehow Sheet 1 - Open Office Calc has gotten corrupted, and I can't fix it. I even downloaded a new version of Open Office. When I open a new spreadsheet, the corrupted page comes up. I am at my wits end. Can you please help me?

[Hagar Delest]

Hi and welcome to the forum,

You need to upload the file so that we have a look. See How to attach a document here.

[Susan Gatewood]

I was not successful using the site you suggested, but I can us TransferBigFiles. I need an email number to send it to. Thank you.

[Hagar Delest]

Post the link here so that more people can try. Personally, I'm not the best one for file recovery.

[Susan Gatewood]

I am so sorry to be so stupid, but TransferBigFiles, will only send to an email address, there is no link. When I try to make the file smaller, it just keeps saving as an .ods file that is too big to post here. I do now know what to do. Do you know of a website where I can post my file for someone to look at, that doesn't cost anything?

[John_Ha]

I have sent you an email with my ID - send it to me and I will look at it.

Or upload the file to the free mediafire and post the link they give.

See 12 Secure File Sharing Sites and Tools for Easy Collaboration!

[John_Ha]

Susan sent me the file and, in correspondence, it seems the problem is when creating a new Calc document, instead of getting an empty spreadsheet, the spreadsheet with images she sent me, appears.

This suggests to me that the problem is the spreadsheet with images has somehow replaced the template used to create a new empty spreadsheet. I have asked Susan to tell me exactly how she creates a new spreadsheet - whether by File > New Spreadsheet ..., or by right-clicking the desktop > New > Calc Spreadsheet ..., as these use different templates.

Does anyone know where the template for File > New > Spreadsheet ..., is obtained from?

Susan

You may have inadvertently set a default Calc template to the images file. If so, follow this to set a new default spreadsheet using the attached file. [Tutorial] Creating a new default template.

[RoryOF]

@John_Ha: John, as far as I know, Calc opens without a defined template, using only factory settings. If a default template is being used, it should be shown in /File /Properties : General tab, in the section at bottom labelled Template:.

[Susan Gatewood]

Thank you, I will look for that.

[John_Ha]

@John_Ha: John, as far as I know, Calc [uses] factory settings.

Rory

That's what I think as I cannot find one anywhere. As all else failed I resorted to RT*M and found the Calc guide says

What is a template?
A template is a model that you use to create other documents. For example, you can create a template for invoices that has your company’s logo and address at the top of the page. New spreadsheets created from this template will all have your company’s logo and address on the first page.
Templates can contain anything that regular documents can contain, such as text, graphics, styles, and user-specific setup information such as measurement units, language, the default printer, and toolbar and menu customization.
All documents in OpenOffice.org are based on templates. You can create, or download and install, as many templates as you wish. If you do not specify a template when you start a new a new spreadsheet, the new spreadsheet is based on the default template for spreadsheets. If you have not specified a default template, OOo uses the blank spreadsheet template that is installed with OOo. See “Setting a default template” on page 113.

Page 113, 114, 115 and 116 then go into extensive detail about templates and how they work. It includes

Resetting the default template
To re-enable OOo’s default template for a document type as the default:

1) In the Template Management dialog, click any folder in the box on the left.
2) Click the Commands button and choose Reset Default Template > Spreadsheet from the drop-down menu.

The next time that you create a spreadsheet by choosing File > New, it will be created from OOo’s default template for spreadsheets.

That did not work for me but a workaround is

1. Save a template Fred.ots in the Templates folder C:\Users\xxxxxx\AppData\Roaming\OpenOffice\4\user\template
2. File > Templates > Organise. This opens the Template Management popup window
3. Navigate to My Templates\Fred and click it
4. Click Command
5. Choose Set as default template.

Presumably, uninstalling and reinstalling AOO will also fix the problem as long as Susan has not set the file with the images as the default template already. If she has it will survive the reinstallation.

Susan - Rory's other point is a very good one. Create a new spreadsheet. Go File > Properties > General. At the bottom see Template which tells you the template used to create the spreadsheet. If you are using the built-in (factory) default it will be blank as in my image below. If you are using some other file as template it will name the file.

[RoryOF]

There was a discussion on Forum some years ago (OO3 days?) in which Villeroy made the statement that out of the box Calc worked using factory settings. Presumably one can set it up to use a template, which I would expect to show up in /File /Properties : General tab, if used.

[John_Ha]

There was a discussion on Forum some years ago (OO3 days?) in which Villeroy made the statement that out of the box Calc worked using factory settings.

Some things seem to be hard coded into the program itself. I think default templates and label templates must be two as I have never been able to find them.

Presumably one can set it up to use a template, which I would expect to show up in /File /Properties : General tab, if used.

Correct - see my edited post above for how.