Lost Text - USB connected external memory

[Notna]

--
NotnaI am using Word 2007, part of the Microsoft Office Home and Student
package.

The computer is operating on Vista Premium. It is a Packard Bell, Intel (R)
Coreâ„¢Duo CPU E7500

@2.93 GHz 400GB RAM, NVIDIA Ge Force CT220

The extended memory is a Kingston stick on a USB port. (I wondered if I had
run out of memory but since the event have added to other files on this
stick, without trouble.)

Recapping; I store the 30 page Word document on the Kingston external
memory. I had brought it across to the computer and was merrily typing when
suddenly the whole text disappeared and I was left with a blank page, the
only one on the file. I think I inadvertently touched a key or keys on the
left-hand lower edge of the keyboard, which may have included the Ctrl key.
No text was selected at the time. When calling up this file now I simply get
the blank page.

Could the missing text still be on the computer somewhere?

Grateful for your comment.

 

[Terry Farrell]

Never work from removable memory - including USB memory sticks. It is the
number 1 way to corrupt or lose your documents. Always work directly with
your local HDD and copy to/from the removable media.

 

[Marko]

Same here. Copied documents from my Cruzer USB to desktop. After a reboot -
they are gone. And today - a document that I was editing - after taking it
to my desktop from the Memory stick - all the text disapeared. Brand new
Compaq 615, with Windows 7 Home premium and Office XP.

 

[Terry Farrell]

The 'desktop' is a VERY doggy place to store anything important. It isn't a
real place, especially in XP and earlier versions of Windows. Always copy to
from a folder on your Local HDD.

Terry

 

[Notna]

Terry,
Thankyou for your reply. It looks as if I have lost the missing text. One
would think that the external memory is safe and reliable - why should it
malfunction? Notna

 

[Terry Farrell]

It is the way that Word uses temp files and how it created a final document
by writing, reading and deleting temp files as it builds the final doc. It
also keeps a Windows tracking temp file in the active folder (in this case
the removable drive) until it has closed and flushed out all the temp files
created in normal use. Unless you have a fast USB bus and fast removable
memory, the simultaneous reads and writes are corrupted.

Terry