Hello, tech wizards. On my Android phone, I created a file of easily-forgotten data (in DOCX format). I used SoftMaker Textmaker app to do this. The file was not confidential, so I did not apply a password to it, and my intention was to store this file in a folder on my SD card, which I did.
Then, I created another DOCX file with the same app. This time, the information in the file WAS confidential (passwords etc.), so I applied a password to it. Later, I noticed that the non-secret file had disappeared, and in its place was a .BAK file of the same name, which, when I clicked on it, opened. I noticed that all my information showed, so I was not particularly bothered at that time. However, I noticed also that, although the other file (the one with the password) remained in this folder, next to it was an additional file of the same name, but in the .BAK format. I can open the original, protected file by clicking on it, and it can open in SoftMaker as it should). The corresponding (secret) .BAK file opens when clicked on, but (because it is password protected) nothing shows except gobbledegook. That's fine, in a way.
However, I feel quite disturbed about two things, The first is that duplicate .BAK files should have appeared at all, and without my asking for them (taking up valuable space). The second is that, though I can read all of the non-protected information that I stored in a file of my own making, that original file has totally disappeared. I should greatly have preferred to keep my two original, SoftMaker files, and not have these unwanted .BAK files show their face at all. Why should a self-created file disappear in favour of an unrequested file?
Can anyone suggest why one of my original files has disappeared, and why the .BAK files have appeared, when I never asked for them? Also, what to do to prevent this happening again, with other files I may make?
Finally, may I ask a question: if I were to delete the .BAK file that is a twin of the "secret" file, might it not cause the original file to disappear, as the other original file did? I should not like to lose all that information!
I should be very grateful if someone could enlighten me about these matters. By the way, I am aware that .BAK files are back-up files, but why should they sit there, taking up space, when I am quite confident of keeping the original files safe? It is not as if they are like short-cuts, using up only a few bytes — they are the same size as the original files!
With thanks in advance,
S.
