How to resolve common compatibility issues with ODF files

Troubleshooting opening, formatting, and data loss issues with Open Document Format files

ODF files are great for sharing documents across multiple platforms, but they don’t always work perfectly, especially when using Microsoft Office or other software based on proprietary formats. If you’ve encountered problems opening, editing, or preserving the formatting of .odt, .ods, or .odp files, you’re not alone.

Here’s an overview of the most common compatibility issues with ODF files, along with their solutions.

1. The ODF file does not open in Microsoft Office

Opening an .odt file with Word or an .ods file with Excel is unsuccessful, and the file opens with formatting errors. Microsoft Office supports ODF, but not always correctly, and although support has improved in recent versions, files continue to have difficulties with some features.

There are two solutions: updating Microsoft Office, as compatibility improves with each new version; and converting with LibreOffice, which natively handles ODF files and, in compatibility mode, .docx and .xlsx files much better than Microsoft Office does with .odt and .ods files.

2. Formatting changes during transfer between suites

A file may appear perfect in LibreOffice, but when opened in Microsoft Office, the layout, fonts or spacing may change. This happens because the two software programmes interpret elements such as text boxes, tables and styles differently. Line spacing and bullet points may also change.

The solution is to use simple formatting in all cases where the file is shared between multiple office suites, avoiding complex layouts, unusual fonts and embedded elements. If formatting is more important than editability, you can use PDF format for the final version.

3. Images and graphics disappear or become corrupted

Images or graphics embedded in the document disappear, become distorted or can no longer be edited when opened with other software. This is because their formats are specific to the software that created the file – and therefore proprietary – and not standard, as is often the case with Microsoft Office.

The solution is to use standard formats, such as PNG or JPG for bitmap images, and SVG for vector images. In some cases, it is advisable to convert images before embedding them in the document and, if possible, simplify them (without altering them).

4. Macros and scripts do not work

Macros written in one suite do not work (or cause errors) in another. This is a known problem, linked to the fact that the scripting languages – Microsoft Office VBA and LibreOffice Basic – are proprietary and therefore incompatible with each other.

The solution is to avoid macros when sharing files, and if it is really impossible to do without them, you need to rewrite the scripts for each platform, using the respective languages. Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts or interoperable solutions.

5. Some data is lost when saving in proprietary format

In some cases, quite sporadic, saving an ODF file in proprietary format causes data loss. Unfortunately, this is a problem due to the artificial complexity of Microsoft Office proprietary files, which use an XML syntax that is very different from the standard in order to limit file interoperability. The solution is to always keep a copy of the original ODF file, because the format is much more robust and, above all, can be recovered by the user in case of file corruption.

In these cases, LibreOffice is the user’s best friend, because it handles ODF files natively and exports clean .docx, .xlsx and .pptx files with XML syntax that never reaches the level of artificial complexity of Microsoft Office.

Final considerations

ODF is the best open standard format for office documents. It is robust and flexible and was created to protect users’ rights thanks to its features that make it independent, interoperable, neutral and perennial. However, this does not mean that it is perfect and easy for developers to implement when the software has not been developed with the same objectives as LibreOffice, as in the case of Microsoft Office.

If problems arise, the key is to know what each office suite can and cannot handle, bearing in mind that LibreOffice was developed with the aim of protecting the interests of users, while proprietary suites were developed to protect the commercial interests of vendors.

The secret is to keep things simple, focusing on the content rather than the appearance of the document. When in doubt, always use the safest format, which is ODF.