Document on flashdrive somehow renamed itself to "&" - can't open document - can't find on computer

[colorrunforlyme]

I have a document on flashdrive that suddenly changed to working marvelously to not opening at all. Somehow the file name changed to "&". when I open the file I get this: " & refers to a location that is unavailable. It could be saved to a harddrive on this computer or network."

I have checked everywhere I can think of -- trash, temp, %temp%, I have used a recovery program on computer and flashdrive and anything that I think could possibly be the file opens up to an ASCII, which I can't open. I have tried saving as a zip file and reopening. I have changed document type from .odf to .txt or .rtf. Nothing. I can't find the document or open it.

I am working on a junk computer. Old. Windows 7. Open Office program. Yes, I have tried opening it on another computer, including an IMAC and have attempted to open in Microsoft Word and Office. Nothing

Sadly, this document means everything to my chronically ill teenager. She has been crazy sick and stuck at home for a decade. You could say this is her life's work. Please keep in mind, when responding to this that I am not tech savvy. I'm just a stubborn Mom who is willing to research for answers and attempt to apply them, in order to give my child some hope again in life. She truly lived each day to write and survived each day because of her writing.

 

[rgd1101]

if you can change the document type, can't you change the filename?

 

[colorrunforlyme]

Makes no difference. Still won't open. But, I'm certainly curious as to how it renamed itself to "&" and what caused that to happen.

 

[rgd1101]

It could be that the flash drive is failing and corrupting data. Time to replace it.

 

[colorrunforlyme]

trust me. It's been replaced. : ) But, I still have to open these files. Someone out there has to lend me some of their computer madness magic.

 

[rgd1101]

if the file is corrupt, not much you can do, where is the backup?

 

[colorrunforlyme]

If there is a backup, it has also chosen to rename itself and hide. I have recovered a few files that MIGHT be the ones I'm looking for. But, they now open up to ASCII and thus far, I have been unable to open them.

 

[rgd1101]

What did you use for backup? it open up to ascii because the file extension in different.
P.S. backup to another flash drive, or other device. backup to the same storage is not a good backup.