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RicardoQz Author

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Pages 5.1, tried everything, file won't open. Need it to open or my MA is gone

Ok.. so I created a document using Pages like 1 month ago and saved it on iCloud...

Then I started typing... and typing... and typing... (and saving obviously).

Everything was OK until a couple of hours ago - and the I panicked...

The file didn't open... Around 60 pages gone...

Tried everything and the darn thing always says "[NAME] can't be opened"

I have no idea if I created the file using Pages 5 or 5.1... right now I have Pages 5.1 because I'm guessing it auto-updated when it got released.

I took the file off iCloud, I have it now on my Desktop - still won't open.

Created several copies and started messing with the Package Contents - still won't open.

Uploaded it again to iCloud - still won't open.

Took it off iCloud (again), erased all my files from iCloud (using the Systems Preferences) - still won't open.

Sent a copy to my iPad, updated my iPad's Pages, tried to open the file - still won't open.

Uninstalled Pages, re-installed it again - still won't open.

To be honest I really don't mind re-typing the entire thing... therefore, is there anyway that I can (somehow) open the thing or export it to PDF or JPEG or whatever?????... I just don't wanna do the entire analysis from scratch.

Or is anybody there that can help - maybe you can somehow open the file, export it to PDF and email me the PDF...???

// Help :'(

Cheers

MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Early 2013), OS X Mavericks (10.9.1), Pages 5.1

Posted on Feb 21, 2014 9:49 PM

30 replies

RicardoQz Author

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Feb 22, 2014 11:41 PM in response to PeterBreis0807

Peter,

Nice!!!!! The document.iwa file is the thing that I need.... The entire document is there... I can read words here and there (using TextWrangler) from both the start and the end of the document...

So... now, the million dollar question is: How do I unscramble that?

Rick

Feb 23, 2014 12:48 AM in response to RicardoQz

Unfortunately what you see is what you get, but you know the subject matter you might have some clue what is what.

I saw lists in there with corrupted names and numbers next to them, they might be your research data.

Peter

RicardoQz Author

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Feb 23, 2014 12:54 AM in response to PeterBreis0807

Peter,

Yeah.. I have all the numbers on a separate file... as I said before, the important bit was the analysis.

Anyway... Even if its scrambled I can read stuff here and there... So at least I'm not gonna start from scratch...

Thank you very much, you have been really really really helpful 🙂

Cheers

Feb 23, 2014 2:43 AM in response to RicardoQz

Best of luck!

Peter

Mar 2, 2014 3:33 PM in response to PeterBreis0807

I am running Pages 5.1 on my MacBook Pro (10.9.1). After accessing my partly written PhD Thesis last Thursday, today the Pages file will not open. The message sayes "PhD Thesis can't be opened".

As you can imagine this is quite a problem for me as the last backup was 2 weeks ago; so lots of changes since then.

I have tried opening the file on a MacBook Air with Pages 5.1 but it showes the same error.

I copied the file then tried looking at the 'package contents'. After which I deleted the large image files, but it still would not open.

I have retreived the 2 week old Time Machine version and it opens OK but is obviously missing the last two weeks of changes.

I am open to any suggestion on how to open this file!!!!!!!

Will Apple fix the issues with Pages and then the file (with all my hard work) will open again, in other words should I wait a few days for an update?

cheers,

Marcus

RicardoQz Author

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Mar 2, 2014 3:52 PM in response to The Denizen

Hey Marcus,

I think we had the same problem (although I didn´t have a backup file)

Erm... I´m gonna be blunt: I also tried everything and nothing worked. The only "solution" we (and by that I mean Peter) found was to use an App called "TextWrangler" (you can find it on the App Store).

Step 1: Make a copy of the file so you don´t mess it up by unpacking it or whatever.

Step 2: Open said copy of the file using the "Show package contents" option.

Step 3: Unzip the "Index" file

Step 4: Go to the newly created "Index" folder and locate the "Document.iwa" file

Step 5: Open the "Document.iwa" file using the "TextWrangler" App

This was literally the only "solution" and to be honest it is not a solution... It shows you a, sort of, encrypted/corrupted version of your file..

In my case this "solution" didn´t help me directly - and by that I mean: I was not able to get any specific info. However, in my case, I was able to read "hints" here and there about what I had written and I took that as a "guide" in order to re-writte my paper.

In other words, if you are looking to get all the info back literally the way it was before, then this solution won't help you.

I haven't found any other solutions online - however it seems that iCloud was the problem (well, in my case it was).

About Apple fixing this issue - I have no idea (I am not an IT guy, so no idea).

I hope that helped you a little bit.

Cheers,

Rick

Mar 2, 2014 4:15 PM in response to RicardoQz

Hi Rick,

Thanks for your fast reply and help. As you mentioned, 'a corrupted version that could give hints' would be good because some of the changes are still in my head, so prompting would work.

I downloaded TexWrangler but each time that I try to open the Document.iwa file I get a message " Document.iwa is damaged and can't be opened. You should move it to the trash". Just wondering it your .iwa opened straight up with TextWrangler?

I have Apple everything for Uni and home (phones, computers, ipads, ipods, iTV, monitor......), this is a very dismal situation that Apple seems to have caused. In some case it will change peoples lives ????

Cheers,

Marcus

RicardoQz Author

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Mar 2, 2014 4:27 PM in response to The Denizen

Marcus,

Yes, mine opens the .iwa files right away...

I´m not the one who found this "solution" - Peter did, so I´m guessing he knows more about this than everyone else. So maybe you should wait a bit for him to respond (he´s in Australia, so .. time zones).

And yes.. Apple has caused this problem. And, from a business perspective I can tell you: They will continue to f**k up... Why? Cuz it is a business, not God.

I ain't an Apple advocate - just saying that people got used to the idea of "everything Apple" being "perfect and shiny"...now things are breaking and Apple's Brand Promise is under scrutiny.

But that's a topic for another discussion.

I hope you get your problem fixed sooner than later.

Cheers

Mar 2, 2014 6:22 PM in response to The Denizen

Marcus

You need to think through "solutions' to your needs, not cast around for someone to do it for you.

Apple is far from perfect, that is not anything new. They have been doing this for years and it is just that you have just now had it happen to you.

Do not put vital or important documents into anything that will be hard to recover or open in years to come. That unfortunately is almost any software by Apple. Apple generally has good service but most of that is targeted at the hardware. They love nothing more than throwing out software with total disregard for the user's work. Pages, Keynote and Numbers are just the last instance of this.

They do leave you with the older software so you can still open older files, for a while, until none of that works anymore on your Mac. It also will cause awkward problems between versions which they don't mention or explain.

So you need to sort out your own needs and priorities

Either use Apple's software as a means of producing a finished job in a universal format such as Word .doc (Pages is very clumsy at doing this) or export to a fixed document such as .pdf or move to software that will be usable in the distant future and produces documents designed to be opened for as long as you require.

That appears to lead to LibreOffice (free) which is developing nicely, retains long term file formats and even does an amazing job opening old file formats abandoned by Apple.

Peter

Mar 2, 2014 6:52 PM in response to PeterBreis0807

Hi Peter,

Thanks for your advice.

I guess I have entered this forum to 'cast around' for solutions to my spacific problem.

Apple has let me down this time, so, for the short term, I will revert back to Microsoft Word, at least until this issue is sorted out. I wrote my Honours Thesis with Pages it had become my trusted word processing software, especially with its ability to dovetail in with Numbers & IPhoto.

When I am at Uni next I will download LibreOffice and have a look at it.

If I have learned anything by this then it is to store my word processing data in more accessable formats.

Cheers,

Marcus

Mar 2, 2014 7:22 PM in response to The Denizen

We should all be pushing Apple to better support .odt (open document format).

The trouble is Apple is still trying to bind us into its pocket universe.

Peter

RicardoQz Author

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Mar 3, 2014 6:21 AM in response to PeterBreis0807

Peter,

From a business perspective Apple's actions align themselves with the core philosophy of any business: Don't lose customers.

Yes, that sounds laughable when considering the problems we have been discussing, but my point is: A closed system keeps people "in" due to the Opportunity Cost of switching to another provider.

Same story with Facebook: The Opportunity Cost of leaving FB is measured in terms of "there is no other social network out there that my friends use"...

Put those ideas together and we have the answer: Apple knows they can continue with a closed system (which includes proprietary document formats) due to the fact that people won't leave them; some people would rather stay and face those issues than losing the "benefits" of using Apple products - i.e. Brand associations, shared worldwide culture and values (the "Apple Culture" - which can also be described as a Cult rather than a Culture), etc.

In short: You would need to convince millions to dump their Apple products and start using other options - which, in turn, would only cause one thing: Apple would use its massive piles of cash to create a new "shiny and clean" marketing campaing and then people would just go back to the nuthouse.

It's a funny world out there. People want freedom, openness and innovation - but they are happy with short-lived trends.

Just sayin'

Mar 3, 2014 6:24 AM in response to RicardoQz

The "people" you describe sound an awful lot like Americans.;)

The vast majority of people in this world are not so lacking in initiative, and use whatever works.

Peter

dfs123

Level 1

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Apr 22, 2014 2:57 AM in response to RicardoQz

You're right on the money.

I've been using Apple on and off for a few years now. The more that I learn about their software, the less impressed I am.

Apr 22, 2014 2:46 PM in response to dfs123

Fixed!!!!

After getting over the fact that I may have lost my hard work, I waited for a further update to Pages and now my file opens. Even though I have recreated most of the work from older copies, this is still great news for me. It has realy shown me the importance of multiple backup formats and that Apple 'wobbles'.

Pages 5.1, tried everything, file won't open. Need it to open or my MA is gone