TextEdit files corrupted on MacBook Air

Hey Tom,

I don't have a 'Show Options' at the bottom [of page].

I followed your advice and it's a fail- now can't open -

"1-The document “misc.txt” could not be opened. Text encoding Unicode (UTF-8) isn’t applicable.

2- The file may have been saved using a different text encoding, or it may not be a text file."

I alternately use plain txt and RTF- the latter when I have intensive links and/ or illustrations that, if not included, fail context.

NB-- 1221hrs

In fact that change caused all txt to fail with that mode.

I hobbled back to TxE and opened the app without a file first- under Settings reversed what we'd done. In fact I tried Automatic and its worked perfectly.

Every old file I have, yet to check archives, opens in plain text all ok- either English (I sometimes pre-translate before moving to various apps, or French, German or Russian originals. I sometimes find the Apple translations don't work very well- and why oh why it has to re-re- download languages over and over is annoying as ****. Literally from the same site, same language (ie not old French or German) and yet it keeps repeating that.

Anyway, case closed until it happens, another way, I guess!

Thanks,

Dave

Thanks Tom,

I knew I'd have to but got other work out of the way first.

I'm an historian/ researcher amateur in a special niche and deal now, with an M2 that helps immensely with translation and holding notes for subsequent articles or informational briefings.

The supposition of error in translation is just plain wrong sorry. This file is representative of several archives dating back a decade or more; multiple backups held off-disk but getting 'damaged' on my MB is completely new. I'd previously used Tex-Edit but it no longer supports M hardware.

Meta for txt doc via preview_ Scrx 2026_

• -

Opened txt doc- Scrx 2026_

So there's the scenario- utility has been corrupted by ???

BTW, neither Malwarebytes nor Bitdefender have flagged any malicious activity or code aimed at the rtf or plain text files.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Dave

Hey Tom,

I don't have a 'Show Options' at the bottom [of page].

I followed your advice and it's a fail- now can't open -

"1-The document “misc.txt” could not be opened. Text encoding Unicode (UTF-8) isn’t applicable.

2- The file may have been saved using a different text encoding, or it may not be a text file."

I alternately use plain txt and RTF- the latter when I have intensive links and/ or illustrations that, if not included, fail context.

Dave