Can't open file - error message

[wehateworking]

Hi.
I belive I am in deep trouble.
For the past 2 days I've been working on a 60 page brochure in freehand.
On the last save my computer crashed down. And now when I try to open the file
I get an error message:
"Could not complete your request because the file is not a valid FreeHand
Document."
But I can see a preview on the file-open dialogue box!

Trouble is that it's the ONLY file I have of my work. no previous versions. I
always saved over the same file.
Now all my work is lost. Deadline is in 3 hours!!!

Does anybody know how to recover the damaged file? using any tool from Windows
XP or Norton or whatever?
Notepad?
anything that allows me to open the file and look at it?
or how can I get back the previous version over which I saved?

thanks for your help.
Manuel

Freehand MX 11 on Windows XP Professional

[plummerdesign]

I am sorry. Not only has this happened to me, but it has caused work to be
redone. I happened last year in FHmx on my Mac. Was the result of a bad SAVE.
But it was the only save I had done. I usually design on the XP machines, but
that day found me at the Mac workstation. I know of no workaround.
Be straight with your customer, we all have bad days.

Again, sorry!
Jeff

[Wes Rand]

wehateworking wrote:

>
> Does anybody know how to recover the damaged file? using any tool
> from Windows XP or Norton or whatever? Notepad? anything that allows
> me to open the file and look at it? or how can I get back the
> previous version over which I saved?
>

If you saved a version as anything other than a Freehand file you might
be able to salvage some of your work. This has happened to me before and
is why I now am careful to always keep backups of my work at regular
intervals.

I'd suggest you zip off a message to MacroMedia that they include an
option to have the program automatically make backups as a way to deal
with the inability to recover from corrupted files:

[url]http://www.macromedia.com/support/email/wishform/?6213=10[/url]