Save and restore document versions

File > Versions stores earlier document states inside the spreadsheet file. Open an older version to inspect it, then save a separate recovered copy if you want to work from it. This is local document history, not a cloud backup service.

Create a meaningful checkpoint

Use Apache OpenOffice Calc 4.1 desktop with English menus and a disposable ODS workbook. The steps are based on official documentation and have not been executed in a native application. This exercise deliberately keeps a separate backup because every stored version resides in the same physical file.

Enter a small stock plan in A1:C3:

Item	Quantity	Unit cost
Paper packs	10	5
Toner	2	40

Set D2 to =B2*C2, D3 to =B3*C3, and D5 to =SUM(D2:D3). The first total is 130. Save the workbook as stock-plan.ods in a disposable folder.

Choose File > Versions and click Save New Version. In the comment dialog enter a descriptive checkpoint, such as “Baseline: 10 paper packs, 2 toner units; total 130.” Confirm. Verify an entry appears in the version list, then save the spreadsheet itself. The comment helps distinguish the purpose of a checkpoint from its timestamp.

Create and inspect a later state

Change B2 from 10 to 16. D2 should become 80 and D5 should become 160, while the toner line remains 80. Save a second version through File > Versions > Save New Version, with the comment “Paper increased to 16; total 160.” Save the document again.

Open File > Versions. Select the baseline entry and use Show to read its full comment if necessary. Click Open. The guide specifies that an older version opens as a read-only copy.

Check B2=10 and D5=130 in that older window. The current document should still contain B2=16 and D5=160. Opening an older version is not the same as restoring it over the current one. Use window titles and filenames to avoid confusing the read-only historical view with your working document.

Recover without discarding the history container

If the baseline is the state you want to continue from, use Save As from the opened old version and give it a distinct name, such as stock-plan-recovered.ods. Never overwrite stock-plan.ods during this first recovery exercise.

The guide warns that Save As drops stored old versions and the new file contains only the latest version of what you saved. Treat the recovered file as a new branch, not as a replacement backup of the entire history. Preserve stock-plan.ods if you need its version list.

In the recovered file, change B3 from 2 to 3. The expected total is now 170: 10×5+3×40. This verifies that you recovered the baseline with 10 paper packs, not the later state with 16. Save, close and reopen the recovered file; confirm formulas and values.

Compare or investigate an unexpected result

The Versions dialog also provides Compare for reviewing changes through version history with the Accept or Reject Changes interface. Use a separate working copy if you are learning that workflow, and inspect individual changes rather than accepting everything just to clear the dialog.

If the older version appears missing, first check whether you are looking at a Save As copy rather than the original history-bearing file. Also confirm you actually used Save New Version and saved the document; repeatedly pressing ordinary Save is not the same as deliberately creating annotated checkpoints.

Keep history-bearing files backed up separately. A damaged, deleted or inaccessible file can take all its internal versions with it, and internal history increases file size. Before sharing a file, consider that stored earlier versions may contain information absent from its current visible state; review that history through your normal authorized document-handling process.

Final verification and official reference

Reopen stock-plan.ods and check its version list, then reopen stock-plan-recovered.ods and confirm its 170 total. The original current state should remain 160. These are reader checks, not reported native test results.

Apache OpenOffice 4.1 Calc Guide, Chapter 11, Saving Versions. Recovered official guide retrieved 19 October 2026.