File Extension ODS

File extension: ODS or .ods

Author of the .ods file extension: Microsoft Corporation

Category: Messaging files / document files

Programs that use the .ods file type: Microsoft Outlook Express 5 / OpenOffice.org Calc, Sun Microsystems StarOffice Calc, and Microsoft Excel with OpenXML/ODF Translator Add-in

Explanation of .ods file extensions:

The .ods file extension is used with Microsoft Outlook Express 5 as a mailbox or 'message store' for e-mail messages. These files are similar to .DBX files used by other versions of Outlook Express.

The ODS file format is used for another purpose. It is part of the Open Document Format for Office Applications 'OpenDocument' 1.0 specification. This OASIS format should soon become the industry standard for sharing documents. The OpenOffice/StarOffice version 2 software suite has adopted this format and it is appearing in other products as well.

An .ODS file in this format is a spreadsheet that has been created by the Calc program included with StarOffice or OpenOffice.org. Data is stored in rows and columns and formatted using the OASIS OpenDocument XML-based standard.

Typical problems associated with the .ods file extension:

One of the most common problems with .ods files related to Outlook Express 5 is when the mailbox has become corrupt.

For ODS files related to Calc, file corruption can be a problem. When a spreadsheet is corrupt, it often can't be opened and it could cause Calc to crash.

Another common .ods problem occurs when the Windows registry contains invalid instructions or has had references to .ods files removed by spyware or other processes.

Solutions/Recommendations:

Data recovery programs are available to recover Outlook Express .ODS files. If Outlook Express is giving you trouble, you can try compacting the messages. To do this, go to the File menu and click Work Offline. Go to the Folder list and click on Outlook Express. Close the Folder list by clicking the X that is located in the upper right-hand corner of the list panel. Go to the File menu, choose Folder, and click on Compact All Folders. During this time, don't use your computer.

If an error occurs during compacting, close Outlook Express, and re-open it. Start over. This may involve a reboot.

One of the best ways to avoid ODS file corruption is to manage your emails. Move messages out of your inbox to smaller folders and make sure the Sent Messages box doesn't become too large 'keep it less than 2000 messages'.

To open spreadsheets using the .ods extension, you will need a compatible spreadsheet such as Calc.

Run a registry cleaner to resolve many common .ods errors.

Associated links:

Outlook Express File Corruption - http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/community/columns/filecorruption.mspx