File cannot be opened

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Level 1

137 points

File cannot be opened

Pages refuses to open a file that has been saved by it, Since it took me two days to generate and edit the file, I would like to get any possibility to open it even if I may lose all formatting.

The version I use is the last version. The accident happened while generating an ePub file.

It may help to delete the preferences for Pages. Unfortunately I can find anything but no preference for Pages. The preference file I can find is of iWork 09.

I appreciate any suggestion even it is not very likely to be the solution.

Mac Pro, OS X Mavericks (10.9), 10 GB

Posted on Feb 3, 2014 1:57 AM

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Answer 1

Feb 3, 2014 2:36 AM in response to Yarramalong

You have 2 versions of Pages on your Mac.

Pages 5 is in your Applications folder.

Pages '09/'08 is in your Applications/iWork folder.

You are alternately opening the wrong versions.

Pages '09/'08 can not open Pages 5 files and you will get the warning that you need a newer version.

Pages 5 can open Pages '09 files but may damage/alter them. It can not open Pages '08 files at all.

Once opened and saved in Pages 5 the Pages '09 files can not be opened in Pages '09.

Anything that is saved to iCloud is also converted to Pages 5 files.

All Pages files no matter what version and incompatibility have the same extension .pages.

Pages 5 files are now only compatible with themselves on a very restricted set of hardware, software and Operating Systems and will not transfer correctly on any other server software than iCloud.

Judging from sterling r's response Apple has not only managed to confuse all its users, but also itself.

Note: Apple has removed over 90 features from Pages 5 and added many bugs:

http://www.freeforum101.com/iworktipsntrick/viewforum.php?f=22&sid=3527487677f0c 6fa05b6297cd00f8eb9&mforum=iworktipsntrick

Archive/trash Pages 5, after exporting all Pages 5 files to Pages '09 or Word .docx, and rate/review it in the App Store, then get back to work.

Peter

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Answer 2

Yarramalong Author

Level 1

137 points

Feb 3, 2014 2:56 AM in response to PeterBreis0807

Thank you for the detailed answer. Unfortunately, it does not offer any solution. May be there is none.

Pages 5.1 opens most of my files, it is acceptable that the updated version is not editable by the older version. But there is an option to save a file for Pages 09. I keep both versions because many of my templates are being altered in a uncontrollable way by Pages 5.1 when creating a new document.

The file I am trying to save is about 500 pages long, and Pages 09 would always crash when I try to change a style. This was the reason why I used Pages 5.1. It did work for two days until it refused to open the file again. I would have taken the prior version from Time Machine. Unfortunately, I had to travel, and when I come back, only the last version will be there.

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Answer 3

Feb 3, 2014 5:09 AM in response to Yarramalong

Interesting choice Apple gives you:

Crash or unopenable!

Personally I would never trust a major document to Pages.no matter what version

Peter

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Answer 4

Yarramalong Author

Level 1

137 points

Feb 3, 2014 8:33 AM in response to PeterBreis0807

Dear Peter,

You are right, I would never use anything else than FrameMaker until Adobe decided not to sell a Mac version. Even Word is an unreliable instrument for technical documentation. In this case, I had to use Pages because the file to be processed was created by a database and Word claimed to detect page breaks where there were no. At the end, the file was perfect, and an ePub was created. But I have lost the original editable document. Any app I use to edit the final product introduces changes in the document for whatever reason.

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Answer 5

Feb 3, 2014 11:46 AM in response to Yarramalong

Why not clean up your files with something like TextSoap?

Peter

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