Perhaps I just don't know what I'm doing:

I can't access the copy or data on any of my applications any more:

Two Writer Documents shared to me have no text when I try to load them.  Both are completed documents on the end of the person sharing them to me

Two databases have no data in them when I open them.  The forms are there, as are the tables, but no data.

The copy or the data was saved, but it just vanished. 

Is there some secret to opening these things in some way that they are useable?