Pages won't open document

Question

Level 8

41,164 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

Reply

Answer 1

PeterBreis0807 Author

Level 8

41,164 points

Jul 27, 2017 11:07 PM in response to Mirtilla

You were writing a book on an iPhone!?! Definition of insanity!

I asked about the file size because that would tell us if the size was right for the type of document and its content. Too small and it is obviously damaged or empty.

iOS automatically saves to its own internal storage and if you have iCloud it synchs that with the iCloud version. So they all become the same. If the file is damaged anywhere, they are all damaged.

It is extremely risky because if anything goes wrong, you lose everything.

I honestly don't know how you can rescue anything. With iOS it either works or it doesn't inside a blackbox, and not sure even Apple knows everything that is going on inside.

I am very sorry but I spend a lot of time warning people to NOT do what you have done for all these reasons.

Your only hope, a slim one, is if someone in the iOS forum has a suggestion:

iWork for iOS

Peter

Reply

Answer 2

Oct 22, 2017 8:04 AM in response to PeterBreis0807

I had this problem running Pages 6.3 with documents saved to my iCloud desktop. Apple Support told me to shut down my computer, and upon restart, hold down Option, Command, P, and R all together as it restarts. It fixed my problem. See How to reset NVRAM on your Mac - Apple Support

Mark

Reply

Answer 3

Peggy

Level 8

41,601 points

Oct 23, 2017 8:39 AM in response to MonicaLuse

Your question has nothing to do with Pages for Mac which is the focus of this forum. Your question is best asked in the iWork for iOS forum. You might even find your question has already been covered there. If not, I suggest you post a new topic.

Reply

Answer 4

PeterBreis0807 Author

Level 8

41,164 points

Dec 2, 2017 2:16 PM in response to alexapostolos

Apps on iOS have versions, and Pages keeps changing so depending on the version and where you created it it, it may or may not be the same.

You created it in Pages on your iPhone? Not anywhere else?

Do you have a Mac and are you using iCloud to sync your Pages files?

There is a more appropriate forum if this is purely a Pages for iOS issue.

Peter

Reply

Answer 5

PeterBreis0807 Author

Level 8

41,164 points

Dec 4, 2017 3:43 PM in response to DayleneS

Daylene

You are in the Pages for Mac forum and it will be better to ask in iWork for iOS. There appear to be other people with similar problems there.

Plus I think this is best demonstrated to someone in an Apple Store, we can not see what is going on.

Peter

Reply

Answer 6

Sep 9, 2017 1:19 PM in response to cathyshaughnessy

Cathy,

We probably need some more information to figure out what's going on, such as:

What version of Pages are you running? (Check in Pages > About Pages.)
Do you know what version of Pages the problem documents were created with?
In what format are these documents you're trying to open? You've said Word, which could be .docx or .doc, but then you've mentioned PDF also. Did you create your resume in Pages, then export it as a PDF? If so, do you still have the original Pages document?
If the document is a .doc or .docx, does it open in TextEdit?

Reply

Answer 7

Barry

Level 9

59,861 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

Reply

Answer 8

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

Reply

Answer 9

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!

Reply

Answer 10

Sep 9, 2017 9:41 AM in response to PeterBreis0807

as of recently, can not open word docs in pages. previously they opened just fine. PDF's open - these would be docs that were created in pages and then converted to pdf and will now not open in original form. I am dead in the water today trying to update a resume! HELP

Reply

Answer 11

Oct 6, 2017 6:05 AM in response to PeterBreis0807

Files opened, then I created a new folder in pages and moved some files into it. This is when the problem began. Now I cannot open any files in Pages. I do have the dropbox app but was not using it. Thanks.

Reply

Answer 12

sguarasc

Level 1

4 points

Oct 13, 2017 1:57 PM in response to PeterBreis0807

Hi Peter: I save files with neighborhood recommended vendor list, contact info for residents, etc in a file in Mailboxes, On My Mac in my email app. I have several from 2017 that will open - starting in 2016 they no longer open. I have not edited them. They are backed up to iCloud. No 3rd party syncing. No reediting. No warnings or difficulties. I have macOS Sierra, version 10.12.6. MacBook Air, mid 2013. Thank you. Sue

Reply

Answer 13

PeterBreis0807 Author

Level 8

41,164 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

Reply

Answer 14

sguarasc

Level 1

4 points

Oct 13, 2017 4:03 PM in response to PeterBreis0807

Hi:

The document was emailed to me as an attachment. I put the email into a file in Email. I used to be able to open the email, open the attachment and have no trouble opening them up. But last couple of years I can’t get them to open, except as noted that the 2016 and 2017 ones will open.

I use g mail. haven’t tried copying them back to home folder and checking……. Don’t really know how to do that.

Don’t know the version of pages at the time.

Sue

Reply

Answer 15

Oct 23, 2017 1:56 AM in response to PeterBreis0807

I have and iPad Air 2. I believe the problem started after it updated the last time. I just updated it again last night to iOS 11.0.3 hoping that it might correct the problem but it did not. Many of my files just have the pages symbol on them and will not open. My September 2015 to May 2016 files will not open. Most of these documents were created in Pages. I click on these files and nothing happens. It does not give me options to open it in another program. I just had my husband send me a file through airdrop and it opens but the files sent to me, used to show a miniature version of themselves on the thumb nail, but the most recent ones just have the Pages symbol on them, which makes me think that I cannot open them since that is what is on all of my other files that do not open. This seems to only happen with files sent to me. I would love to fix this if possible.

Plus, I tried to create a document yesterday and when I click on Create Document it does not automatically pop up name this file, when I tried to tap on the word Blank at the top, like I used to do it would not go to the name so that I could rename it. So, I forgot to rename it and today when I looked for my document it did not save anything that I had written. It is just a blank document. I was reading some of the other posts and they talked about saving the document, but my Pages never gives me this option, am I missing something?

Also is there anyway to close the browse section that seems to be permanently open along the left side of the page? It is quite irritating when I want to type a document for the browse section not to go away so that my document can take up the whole screen like I am used to.

Reply