When I work on a file, save it, and then try to reopen it later the application tells me that it cannot open my file because it says the index.xml is missing. Where does this file go to? I'm getting tired of having to recreate the book over and over.
Are you using versions? Are you opening any of them as part of this process? Do you have a backup?
Check the similar links suggested on the right to see if they match your issue/situation...
Try closing down IBA. ERstart it, start a new project and paste the content of the original one into the new one. This might help.
Michi.
@K T I tried to backup the file I was working on in 2 different spots (my external HD and Dropbox). Each of those results in the same error message telling me the file cannot be opened because the index.xml file is missing.
@Michi When I first was working with the file I'd save and close and reopen with no problem. Once I closed the application and tried opening the file again a few days later I get the error that I cannot open due to index.xml file missing. So I cannot copy and paste my content because I cannot access it anymore.
Just had this happen, here is how I fixed it:
Duplicate the .iba file (the iBooks Author project) to your desktop or wherever you'd like.
Next, delete the .iba extension and make it .zip and click "Use .zip" when the dialog box pops up.
Then, double-click your newly created ZIP file. It will extract to a folder in the same directory.
Now, add the .iba extension to this folder. It will pop up another dialog box asking if you want to do this, click "Use .iba".
Your file should work now.
Ah! the same problem I had.... really this iBook Author is becoming pain in neck for me 🙂
but j0shb3ck3r your suggestion was very Helpful, now I can open my file
Thanks you guys are so supportive
I just used this .zip approach to fix the same issue with a Pages '09 file
- very grateful,
B
Hey, I just started using iBooks Author and had this problem. Thanks j0shb3ck3r, your technique worked great to fix it.
However, is this is a common occurence? Anything I can do to avoid having to repeat this every time I close the program?
Thanks
I understood this and it didn't work for me.
Why does Ibooks Author not save a backup like pages when I hit "save a version" I lost 4 days work over this issue.
A 'version' isn't a backup. Pages doesn't do backups. OS X and some Apple branded apps do versions....those are simply snapshots in time.
Unless you have a tested and reliable 'backup' in place, you can't use that word, sorry.
Thanks for the clarification KT. I have pages files all over the place that say Backup of such and such file.
Tha is why I thought of them as backups.
I think you may find it helpful to take your computer to the nearest Apple Store and ask for help making sure the OS is healthy and to understand the files you are looking at and working with.
And while you're there, ask them to help you come up with a backup plan to help protect your work. The Apple product named 'Time Machine' is a good choice for backing up important files, I think.
The nearest Apple store is 120 miles away. I like the time machine idea. for now I am duplicating periodically. Will that do it?
Duplicating to another drive will do as a minimum....be careful 😉
K T,
I think the index.xml is a hidden file but I am thinking that I sould copy it to a flash drive every time I save the file.
There is far too much work involved to take any chances with losing it again. Any thoughts on this?
Oh, gosh....that is too much work, I think....
If you have a flash drive, I think Time Machine will recognise it as a volume....use the biggest one you can get....let TM run on automatic and it should back up once an hour.
Let's get you going with a trustworthy backup and then go right to work on having a stable environment...whatever that means.
iBooks Author keeps discarding the index.xml file associated with my .iba document.
