LibreOffice open files disappearing

**Thinkintuit** · July 3rd, 2012

I'm having a recurring problem with LibreOffice in which I have a number of files open, but can't access them. Normally if I click on the LibreOffice icon to the left of the screen, I see small versions of all the files I have open. But when this problem crops up (which has been happening fairly frequently), clicking on the icon just opens a new file. Also, when this happens the little triangles that show up next to the icon disappear. However, if I then start closing files, the previously opened ones will appear, apparently in the order in which I had first opened them.

It's not clear to me whether this is a LibreOffice problem, or a Unity/Ubuntu 12.04 problem. It may be that the problem lies with multiple instances of a program being opened in Unity.

The only way I've found so far to stop this problem is to shut down the computer and restart it.

Has anyone else encountered a problem like this? Any ideas on how to prevent it from happening, or--if it does occur--to get it working again without restarting the computer?

I'm using LibreOffice 3.5.4.2 Build ID: 350m1(Build:2)

**efflandt** · July 4th, 2012

Just on the odd chance that it is related to problems I have bring up update manager when it checks for updates and starts automatically minimized, or sometimes when minimizing something from one of my own launchers (that launches a terminal script to launch a java gui game), try switching to a different workspace with the workspace switcher and see if it works then. That seems to work when I cannot bring up the hidden update manager.

**Thinkintuit** · July 4th, 2012

Originally Posted by efflandt

try switching to a different workspace with the workspace switcher and see if it works then

Thanks for the suggestion! I'll try that the next time the problem occurs.

**Thinkintuit** · July 6th, 2012

The problem just recurred; I tried switching to a different workspace per efflandt's suggestion, but that had no effect.

**Qu4rk** · July 17th, 2012

Originally Posted by Thinkintuit

The problem just recurred; I tried switching to a different workspace per efflandt's suggestion, but that had no effect.

I'm experiencing a similar problem to you. My Libre icons are not locked to the sidebar. But at times, I get a weird blank space the size of an icon between and then a unity icon that is blank Libre office icon (i.e. it doesn't have the green text & stuff a spreadsheet) & not I can't click it. I have to open a new document that's a text document which will open up writer, then use the windows menu to access the spread sheet.

Its a little anoying, so if you find a solution, I will try it for my problem too. Because I don't know where to start.

**karlkropf** · July 17th, 2012

I've found the same problem with Writer and Calc. One of the symptoms is that the generic LibreOffice icon in the launcher has the 'on another workspace' open triangle (>) on the left edge. As per efflandt's suggestion I've tried all (4) workspaces but the documents are not on any of them. Also tried increasing and decreasing the number of workspaces but not luck.

There would seem to be a phantom workspace.

The problem only seems to have started fairly recently so wonder if it is a regression.

**karlkropf** · July 17th, 2012

Just spotted this

<http://askubuntu.com/questions/144151/libreoffice-icons-missing-from-unity-task-panel>

which gives a workaround - super+W - which shows all open windows.

Also suggests it's a known bug <https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/bamf/+bug/995916>

**Thinkintuit** · July 20th, 2012

Originally Posted by karlkropf

a workaround - super+W - which shows all open windows

Thanks, karlkropf! super+W is a very useful workaround. The bug has occurred 3 times so far this morning, which is unusually frequent. At least with super+W I don't have to restart my computer.

Thanks also for letting us know that it's a known bug. Hopefully there will be a fix before too long.

**Qu4rk** · July 20th, 2012

Originally Posted by Thinkintuit

Thanks, karlkropf! super+W is a very useful workaround. The bug has occurred 3 times so far this morning, which is unusually frequent. At least with super+W I don't have to restart my computer.

Thanks also for letting us know that it's a known bug. Hopefully there will be a fix before too long.

Yes, thanks karlkropf!

**drmtiede** · August 21st, 2012

some time has gone by.

has anything come up jet? i have the same problem with the calc icon not showing up.

ubuntu 12.04 & LibreOffice 3.5.4.2
Numero di build: 350m1(Build:2)