MSWord Fucking Did It Again...

[JaxRhapsody]

This time it was a file actually saved on my phones sd card. All I did was switch apps for not even five minutes, went to go back to it and the apps on bullshit again.

Now, the file itself has copies. What the file consist of, is several drabbles, short stories, and novellettes of a collection of Peanuts fan fiction. The issue is the recent story addition that I'm almost done with. I need to figure out how to fix this, or have somebody else do so- I don't mind sending the file.

I can't just rewrite it, I'm +/- twenty pages deep, probably near or more than 5k words. I found file recovery stuff last time, but all those sites want money I ain't got, and none of the apps I found back then worked. I also have and still continue to have saved several copies of all my current stuff, I just didn't get around to redoing it with this file, with it's current edition because of other things going on.

Please, if anybody could help, because I couldn't figure anything out last time, I even called a few computer repair shops. If I gotta choke this story up as a loss, then I will.

 

[SyleusSnow]

I've PM'd you. (At least, I think I did)

 

[MetaBob]

I don't use MS Word except when absolutely necessary, and I don't have a copy that isn't more than 10 years old. It is excrement, IMO.

It sounds like you're on a PC, which almost certainly means you don't have a journaled file system, which sucks. Sometimes I've been able to recover Word docs by undo-ing, but not always. I wish you good luck. I effin hate losing docs. The few times I've had to start over from scratch, sometimes the result was better than the original, even though I was so damn aggravated that I didn't want to.

All else fails, deep breath, hold your nose, and rewrite. The result might be better than what you lost.

 

[JaxRhapsody]

I don't use MS Word except when absolutely necessary, and I don't have a copy that isn't more than 10 years old. It is excrement, IMO.

It sounds like you're on a PC, which almost certainly means you don't have a journaled file system, which sucks. Sometimes I've been able to recover Word docs by undo-ing, but not always. I wish you good luck. I effin hate losing docs. The few times I've had to start over from scratch, sometimes the result was better than the original, even though I was so damn aggravated that I didn't want to.

All else fails, deep breath, hold your nose, and rewrite. The result might be better than what you lost.

Nope, it's on android and I'm not rewriting it, not almost an entire story. If it were a chapter, or one or two chapters started, like the first time it did it, sure. There's not many options to write on a phone.

 

[StillStunned]

Have you tried searching your File Explorer for one or two key words (for example names) from the story? You might just get lucky and find a saved copy somewhere. Remember to select the option for searching file contents, not just the names.

 

[JaxRhapsody]

Have you tried searching your File Explorer for one or two key words (for example names) from the story? You might just get lucky and find a saved copy somewhere. Remember to select the option for searching file contents, not just the names.

I did. Sometimes if word won't open a file, I can open it the file manager, that'll get word to open it, but not corrupted files. Last time(see I Am Done With MSWord Mobile), I tried several things that didn't work. That was just a chapter and I rewrote it. This is something that might be about six lit pages.

 

[StillStunned]

Then my next suggestion is even more of a long shot: is there any way you can convince yourself that it's all about the writing, that what matters is your own enjoyment of the process and not your readers' validation?

 

[JaxRhapsody]

Then my next suggestion is even more of a long shot: is there any way you can convince yourself that it's all about the writing, that what matters is your own enjoyment of the process and not your readers' validation?

And what does that hafta do with me recovering the file? What matters is I can't finish it, which is not enjoyable. There won't be any validation with nothing the readers can't read- although I don't get that much on AO³, anyway.

 

[Jay142]

I use Google Docs which saves everything automatically. I know that doesn't help your current situation but you might want to switch in the future.

 

[MrPixel]

...write on a phone.

I do think that's your core issue. Phones are "read only" devices, at least philosophically. The-powers-that-be design phone software for you to consume their content, not create any outside of their control. No, I'm not saying that they intentionally booby-trap your devices, it's that not a lot of attention is paid to data integrity because regular people (consumers) don't use their phones to create.

As much as I absolutely despise Alphabet/Google and their predation of the Internet, if you insist on using your phone to write stories, best idea is as above, do a total buy-in with them and use Google Docs to store your files.

 

[SyleusSnow]

I do think that's your core issue. Phones are "read only" devices, at least philosophically. The-powers-that-be design phone software for you to consume their content, not create any outside of their control. No, I'm not saying that they intentionally booby-trap your devices, it's that not a lot of attention is paid to data integrity because regular people (consumers) don't use their phones to create.

As much as I absolutely despise Alphabet/Google and their predation of the Internet, if you insist on using your phone to write stories, best idea is as above, do a total buy-in with them and use Google Docs to store your files.

For sure phones aren't great for creative tasks. Saving to "the cloud" does seem to be the best way to go for phone content, but the wireless data charges might be an issue, plus you're trusted the cloud provider not to snoop and/or reveal your documents to law enforcement or any other powers who ask.

Google in particular has deleted people's personal unshared files from Google Drive because they got flagged as copyrighted material. I wouldn't trust them not to flag erotica and report it to authorities. So saving locally to the phone and your own computer is wise.

(I wrote a looong guide about writing smut in secret after talking to a collegue who knows about such stuff.)

Anyway, SD cards can be flaky and they do wear out. I've lost photos in cameras and files in Android phones. Now I buy top of the line ultra fast CD cards from Not Amazon and so far it's worked out.

 

[R. Richard]

I use LibreOffice instead.

 

[JaxRhapsody]

I use Google Docs which saves everything automatically. I know that doesn't help your current situation but you might want to switch in the future.

I thought about it since it appeared on my phone yesterday after the system update. Word autosaves, too. Docs is just unorganized to me without the ability to put everything in folders.

 

[JaxRhapsody]

I use LibreOffice instead.

Doesn't work on phones. I tried it last time. Even tried to go back to OfficeSuite. I just don't wanna lug one of my laptops everywhere.

 

[theWollstonecraftWoman]

Doesn't work on phones. I tried it last time. Even tried to go back to OfficeSuite. I just don't wanna lug one of my laptops everywhere.

You have more than one laptop, what are you some kind of big spender? Mr. Money Bags, @JaxRhapsody, spend a little on me.

 

[lovecraft68]

You have more than one laptop, what are you some kind of big spender? Mr. Money Bags, @JaxRhapsody, spend a little on me.

I have two lap tops and a PC. Where's the link to your amazon wish list?
You should get into the paypig game, guys hand you money as you abuse them. Trying to talk my wife into it.

 

[theWollstonecraftWoman]

I have two lap tops and a PC. Where's the link to your amazon wish list?
You should get into the paypig game, guys hand you money as you abuse them. Trying to talk my wife into it.

Good luck with that.

 

[lovecraft68]

Good luck with that.

I know. Honestly, I didn't care about the money, I was just hoping she'd find someone else to pick on for awhile.

 

[theWollstonecraftWoman]

I know. Honestly, I didn't care about the money, I was just hoping she'd find someone else to pick on for awhile.

Stop making points for our lesbian writers to use against you. LOL

 

[lovecraft68]

Stop making points for our lesbian writers to use against you. LOL

Female Lesbian writers or all the men pretending to be lesbians? There's a difference.

And tell them to get in line, the LW incels have had me on their list for some time now....but I would be more afraid of women...they're a lot more bad ass.

 

[theWollstonecraftWoman]

Female Lesbian writers or all the men pretending to be lesbians? There's a difference.

And tell them to get in line, the LW incels have had me on their list for some time now....but I would be more afraid of women...they're a lot more bad ass.

Seriously, I wasn't being serious.

 

[JaxRhapsody]

You have more than one laptop, what are you some kind of big spender? Mr. Money Bags, @JaxRhapsody, spend a little on me.

I have four and they aren't anything to brag about. The one I wrote on specifically was old when I got it, runs WinXP. I have one that runs like shit because it was upgraded from Vista to Win10 I believe(not by me) and well... let's say it's a constant brain anurism for it. I was going to use it to make music. One runs 8 or 7(the os built for the Nokia Lumia) and needs to be plugged in the tv. The fourth has a dead cmos battery, no actual battery or wifi card, otherwise is fine. I use the power cord from the first one to use it. I'm Mr. Empty Sacks.

 

[theWollstonecraftWoman]

I'm Mr. Empty Sacks.

No need to get that personal.

 

[JaxRhapsody]

I've lost all nerve to write over this.

 

[theWollstonecraftWoman]

I think you need a backup for your stories, such as Dropbox or Box.