OOo-dev cannot be started: corrupt configuration data

Today, when I started up my computer, I was greeted with the following message:



Which stated that: "OOo-dev cannot be started due to an error in accessing the OOo-dev configuration data."
Also, it provided some useful information, such as: "The following internal error has occurred: /org.openoffice.Office.Recovery". This will be very handy later on.

Similar Errors:
"OpenOffice cannot be started due to an error in accessing the OpenOffice configuration data"
"OpenOffice cannot be started due to an error in accessing the OpenOffice.org configuration data"

"StarOffice cannot be started due to an error in accessing the StarOffice configuration data"
(if this is your error, after running the %APPDATA% (step 3) , open the folder "StarOffce7" [or something similar] then continue with the normal steps)

Solution 1 (if there was an 'Internal Error' message)
1) Goto Start -> Run
2) Type in "%APPDATA%" (no quotes)
3) In the new window that popped up, open up "OOo-dev3" or "OpenOffice2" (or something similar [with "OOo" in it or "openoffice" in it] )
4) Navigate through the following folders: user -> registry -> data
5) Now, the following depends on what was displayed as the error message.
6) Follow the folders as the error was shown (the last 'part' is the file)
example: if "/org.openoffice.Office.Recovery" then open the folders org -> openoffice -> Office

7) For my error message (shown above) I went (from within the data folder) through:
org -> openoffice -> Office

8) In the folder, now look at the last part of the string which is the filename.
example: if "/org.openoffice.Office.Recovery" then work with the file Recovery.xcu
example 2: if "/org.openoffice.Office.Common" then work with the file Common.xcu
9) Now take that file, and rename to something else (Recovery -> OLD.Recovery).
10) Start OpenOffice and it should fix the problem and load correctly!

11) If not, then continue through the next solutions.

Solution 2 (if there wasn't any 'Internal Error' message)
1) Goto Start -> Run
2) Type in "%APPDATA%" (no quotes)
3) In the new window that popped up, open up "OOo-dev3" or "OpenOffice2" (or something similar [with "OOo" in it or "openoffice" in it] )
4) Navigate through the following folders: user -> registry -> data -> org -> openoffice -> Office
5) Once in the 'Office' folder, delete everything except the "Common.xcu" file.
6) Try to start OpenOffice
7) If it loads correctly, congrats! If not, continue.


8) It seems like it still didn't work for you. Now go ahead and delete the "Common.xcu" file in the "Office" folder.
9) Try to start OpenOffice again
10) It should work now, but if not, continue to the next solution.


Solution 3 (if the above ones won't work)
1a) Restart your computer (or if you are too impaitent, continue)
1b) Goto Start -> Run
2) Type in "%APPDATA%" (no quotes)
3) In the new window that popped up, open up "OOo-dev3" or "OpenOffice2" (or something similar [with "OOo" in it or "openoffice" in it] )
4) Locate the folder: "user".
5) Rename the folder to "user2" (no quotes)
6a) Start OpenOffice, it should bring up a Configuration Wizard, follow the steps and your done!
6b) If you want, you can now go back and delete the created "user2" folder.
7) If it still doesn't work, I have no idea what has happened and you should continue your search somewhere else. (you can email me, but I cannot guarantee any fixes with OpenOffice)

Questions or Problems? Email me @


Hope That Helps!
-James Hartig