There are many document formats that can be used to exchange digital files . Not a few who choose Portable Document Format aka PDF. This file format made by Adobe Inc. is excellent because it can send text, images, and two-dimensional vector graphics with smaller sizes without changing the position or quality of the document.
However, sometimes you encounter an unopenable PDF file that has been sent. You can’t even open it even if the file is unlocked. So, what is the way to solve PDF can’t be opened? Here’s a brief explanation.
How to Solve PDF Can’t Open
Ever get a PDF, but can’t be opened even if it’s not locked? Wow, what’s the solution, huh? There are various ways to deal with PDFs that cannot be opened, from repairing files to updating the software . You can try everything so that the document can open.
Some of these methods require access to certain websites or installation of applications. So, make sure you have enough network or storage space, yes. If you are ready, just look at the steps to overcome the following PDF files cannot be opened.
1. Repair file PDF
The main reason why a PDF cannot be opened is because the file is corrupt or damaged. The causes can be various, including the copy-paste or download process that is not thorough, damage to the hard disk , and the presence of malware or viruses in the document.
To repair a corrupted PDF file , there are two options you can try. First, by downloading and installing the app; and second, using the online method through the website of the PDF repair service provider . Both, will be discussed in detail here.
Repair PDF offline using the app
- First, download a third-party application that provides PDF repair facilities. For example, this tutorial uses the Stellar Repair PDF application. Next, follow the installation steps according to the instructions provided
- Open and run the installed application
- Click ‘Add’ to add a corrupted or damaged PDF file . You can add more than one file in one process
- Click ‘Select All’ if you repair more than one file , skip if you repair only one file
- Click the ‘Repair’ button to start the process of repairing corrupted or damaged PDF files . Wait until the process is complete
- When finished, click ‘Save Repaired Files’ to re-download the repaired PDF file.
Repair PDF online via website ilovepdf.com
- Open a search engine, visit the ilovepdf.com page
- On the homepage, find and click the ‘Repair PDF’ or ‘Repair PDF’ option
- Upload corrupted or damaged PDF files
- Click ‘Repair PDF’ to start document repair
- Wait until the process is complete
- Download the repaired PDF file .
Both the first and second methods can provide PDF file repair services in an easy way. For the record, there are certain conditions that allow the PDF file to be corrupt or cannot be repaired, such as damage since the beginning of the document creation. If that’s the case, the only way to know the contents of the file is to request the file again.
2. Update PDF reader app
If you get a notification that the file cannot be opened on more than one document, it could be that your PDF reader application is out of date and needs updating. Service providers usually carry out version updates regularly to improve application performance.
Well, it could be that your document is in the latest version format, while your application is still an old version. As a result, the application no longer supports opening or processing your PDF files . If this is the reason the PDF file cannot be opened, the solution is simply to update the application to the latest version.
How to update PDF software will certainly vary depending on what application you are using. You can open the official application developer page to find out the appropriate update steps.
For example, here’s how to update Adobe Reader. You can follow it if you use the same application.
- Open and run the Adobe Reader application
- Click the ‘Help’ option at the very top of the menu
- On the dropdown menu , find and click on ‘Repair Adobe Reader Installation’
- Click ‘Yes’ to grant installation access
- Wait for the application to finish updating.
After the update is complete, you can try to open the file that previously failed to load. If it’s an out-of-date app, then this should work.
3. Use another PDF reader app or service
If the previous two methods still fail, you can try opening the PDF file using another application or service provider. To find the cause, try opening it on two different devices such as a laptop and Android. Sometimes files won’t open when accessed via cellphone or vice versa.
The solution option is to download and install a variety of software . This method seems complicated, but the chances of success are quite high. Some applications that IDN Times can recommend are:
- For Windows or Mac: Adobe Reader, Adobe Acrobat DC, Nitro Pro
- For Android or iOS: Adobe Reader mobile version , Foxit PDF Reader, Xodo.
In addition to using the application, you can also try how to solve PDFs that cannot be opened using a browser . Almost all browsers provide PDF reader services, including Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Opera, and others. How to open it as follows:
- Find files in computer folders or finder
- Right -click on a file until a menu option appears
- Select ‘Open With’ > select the browser you use frequently.
The browser will automatically open the desired PDF file into a new tab . You can access the file and read it. However, browsers generally do not provide many PDF editing facilities.
4. Convert PDF to another format
The last way you can try is to change the document format. The most possible option can be to convert PDF to Word or Docx.
For the record, this method may change the appearance of the document to be messy. Therefore, you have to go back to tidying them up one by one after the conversion is successful. As for how to convert PDF to Word , you can do it online through the website of the convert service provider . These steps can be followed if you use the smallpdf.com page.
- Open a search engine, visit the smallpdf.com page
- On the homepage, find and click on the ‘PDF to Word’ option
- Upload corrupted or damaged PDF files
- Click ‘Convert’ to start converting PDF files to Word
- Wait until the process is complete
- Download a PDF file that has been formatted as Docx.
In addition to the online method , you can also change the PDF file format to Word manually using the save as menu . The method:
- Find files in computer folders or finder
- Right -click on a file until a menu option appears
- Select ‘Open With’> select Microsoft Word
- Wait for the conversion process to complete
- The PDF file has been changed to Word.
If some of the ways to fix the PDF can’t be opened above still don’t work, then it could be that the file has been completely corrupted. You can regenerate the PDF file or request a new copy.
