Level 8

41,329 points

Pages won't open document

We are getting an increased number of users all with files that refuse to open in Pages 5, particularly Pages 5.1.

I have gone over several of them and been unable to correct the problem, only able to open the Document.iwa sub file in the package to look at the mix of text snippets and I presume .xml.

Apple reportedly has also examined these and been unable to rectify them.

To aid some kind of resolution I ask that users who have had the problem post here, detailing the last things they did with the file and whether there is anything particular to the files that may be leading to the problem.

Particularly relevant would be where and how the files were last saved.

Are they being transferred or backed up to iCloud?

Are you using 3rd party syching or backup solutions like DropBox?

Are they being re-edited on iDevices, iWork for iCloud beta or back and forth from Word .doc?

Were there any preceeding warnings or difficulties of any kind with the document?

Or anything else you can think of.

Thank you,

Peter

Posted on Mar 19, 2014 5:37 PM

181 replies

Oct 6, 2017 6:19 AM in response to dalefrombedford

Further erroneous behavior: I tried to move pages documents to documents app (hoping to open them there) and got replies: "file does not exist" and "you do not have permission".

PeterBreis0807 Author

Level 8

41,329 points

Oct 6, 2017 1:38 PM in response to dalefrombedford

You are using iOS Pages but haven't mentioned it?

This is the Pages for Mac forum.

Try:

iWork for iOS

Peter

Nov 29, 2017 1:53 AM in response to PeterBreis0807

Correct, I save to Google Drive.

Should I try upgrading Pages?

PeterBreis0807 Author

Level 8

41,329 points

Nov 29, 2017 3:59 AM in response to novasuecia

Definitely, however you will need to have macOS Sierra installed.

Peter

Nov 29, 2017 4:02 AM in response to PeterBreis0807

I'll try that and report back. Thank you for your help.

Dec 2, 2017 7:43 AM in response to PeterBreis0807

I’m trying to open a pages file in iOS and it doesn’t seem to want to open.. it will only let me try to rename it and still it won’t take that info either???

PeterBreis0807 Author

Level 8

41,329 points

Dec 4, 2017 11:33 AM in response to marcelinetje

"a different developer"?

Do you mean another program? Which one?

Pages 6.3.1 can only open its own (.pages) files, MsWord (.doc/x) and Text (.txt) files.

Peter

Mandymh3

Level 1

12 points

Jan 18, 2018 8:23 AM in response to PeterBreis0807

Pages docs will not open on my iPhone 7. I use strictly Pages. Do not share docs on any other formats or with anyone else. Pages still works well on my Mac.

PeterBreis0807 Author

Level 8

41,329 points

Jan 18, 2018 2:57 PM in response to Mandymh3

Same questions as above. It is impossible fro us to work out what is happening if you do not tell us what exactly you are using.

The presumption we can see what you see is wrong.

Peter

PeterBreis0807 Author

Level 8

41,329 points

Feb 7, 2018 2:10 AM in response to colinwright1

Most odd. Seems like they maybe are not the same file?

So hard to tell in iOS's primitive file system.

Peter

Barry

Level 9

60,344 points

Mar 9, 2017 2:15 PM in response to gvanwesep

"I just received two .doc documents on my Mac running 10.12 sent from a MacBook Air running I don't know what. The files will not open in Pages 6.0."

Hi g'

Please repost as a new question.

This thread is concerned with a specific issue involving Pages files and Pages v5.1. Your question concerns issues with MS Word files and Pages v6.0.

Regards,

Barry

Mirtilla

Level 1

4 points

Jul 27, 2017 1:32 PM in response to PeterBreis0807

Hi Peter, I'm sorry for my officiousness, but I try in everyway to open an importante file Pages and I can't.

I am Italian and I am a writer. I was writing ma last book (almost finished), when Pages says: the file can't be saved and I can't open or convert the file.

The Italian Support doesn't help me and I don't know what to do. Sorry for my English. It's really important to me repair the file. Please, can you help me? I am desperate... four mounths of work lost! Thanks of you will answers to me! Jessica

Mirtilla

Level 1

4 points

Jul 27, 2017 10:40 PM in response to PeterBreis0807

I have the last versione of Pages on IPhone 6 Plus, it's 3.2. I'm writing like everyday when suddendly the App has stopped working. I have done immediately the backup in ICloud, but the file doesn't open. I have no Finder or a MAC. I tried to open or concert the file from ICloud but I can't and the App of Pages crashed when I tried to open the file. I saved also the version of the day before, but nothing!

PeterBreis0807 Author

Level 8

41,329 points

Oct 13, 2017 2:47 PM in response to sguarasc

You are talking about Pages documents?

Have you used a Third Party email service such as gMail, DropBox, Amazon etc?

Tried copying them back to your home folder and checking their size and file type?

Which version of Pages were you using at the time?

Peter

Jan 7, 2018 7:41 PM in response to PeterBreis0807

Hi Peter,

What can we do then? Now my Page has stopped opening documents since a couple of weeks ago. I managed to copy and paste the contents to a new document and worked on it, until I closed the document and couldn't open it again.

Should I uninstall Page and just forget about it? Would I lose all my documents?

Thank you for your expertise and candid answers.

Ming

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Pages won't open document