Cannot open Pages: Documents Lost!

Question

Level 2

238 points

Cannot open Pages: Documents Lost!

Suddenly I can't open Pages or access any of the documents I spent hours writing. I have had to Force Quit several times.

Pages won't open, none of the documents in it will open and if I try to open my documents in an older version of Pages it tells me that I need the new version which is available from the App Store.

This is a disaster! I have tried opening Pages whilst holding down the Shift key but to no avail.

What can I do?

MacBook Air, OS X Mavericks (10.9.1)

Posted on Mar 31, 2014 10:49 AM

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Answer 1

VikingOSX

Level 10

128,904 points

Jan 15, 2017 1:48 PM in response to translucentamoebae

There are about 100+ features found in Pages '09 v4.3 that have never been added to any release of Pages v5 and v6. These features have been missing now for over three years.

Apple does not have you in a headlock, or is forcing you to continue using these compromised versions of Pages. There is a free LibreOffice, free Scribus DTP application, and even Word 2016, among several other “DTP” applications available. Even Pages '09 is still available from the iWork '09 DVD still sold by Amazon and Ebay resellers. If you go that route, you will need to apply its last updater.

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Answer 2

Jan 15, 2017 12:38 PM in response to Julian Brown

i'm using Pages 6.0.5 and found that many ( not all ? ) of my pages documents, some which were created with version 6 and some with older Pages have not been opening ! But -- i have discovered that if i drag the icon/document to the Pages App in the Dock, it Will Open.

It's annoying, but not a disaster !

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Answer 3

Jan 15, 2017 12:40 PM in response to translucentamoebae

As a complete side note; i am also very annoyed that the new Pages has removed Linked Text Boxes and Changed the Outline Feature, which i use to cut things out with. It seems that Apple is Dumbing down Pages ! ?

The Removal of Linked Text Boxes makes 'Desktop Publishing' just about impossible !!! ( ? )

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Answer 4

Mar 31, 2014 12:23 PM in response to Julian Brown

This is becoming a rush of people who can't open their documents.

I have been warning against using Pages 5 for any serious work since it came out but, it is very hard to get people to listen until it all hits the fan:

http://www.freeforum101.com/iworktipsntrick/viewtopic.php?t=446&sid=92b3f8232eb6 abb51cbbc128f3b67e0a&mforum=iworktipsntrick

Peter

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Answer 5

Mar 31, 2014 1:22 PM in response to PeterBreis0807

As far as I understand there are a reported problems in Pages that Apple is not fixing?

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Answer 6

Mar 31, 2014 1:30 PM in response to obscurecameras

Yes. Not even admitting.

Peter

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Answer 7

Julian Brown Author

Level 2

238 points

Apr 1, 2014 4:50 AM in response to Julian Brown

I've solved it - for my purposes anyway. And it's not a 100% satisfactory "fix" because it does not cure the underlying problem.

I opened iCloud>Pages then dragged the documents I couldn't open in the Pages app on my Mac from Finder to Pages within iCloud and they're now completely accessible, printable etc from within iCloud.

Let's hope Apple fix this problem soon but meanwhile I'll be saving all of my Pages documents in iCloud for the foreseeable future.

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Answer 8

Apr 1, 2014 5:03 AM in response to Julian Brown

Julian

Can you completely describe your problem and the step by step solution accurately for others who may encounter something similar?

I am not sure it is everyone's problem though, but worth adding to:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6013229?tstart=0

Peter

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Answer 9

Julian Brown Author

Level 2

238 points

Apr 1, 2014 6:40 AM in response to PeterBreis0807

The problem is as stated in my original post i.e:

"Suddenly I can't open Pages or access any of the documents I spent hours writing. I have had to Force Quit several times.

Pages won't open, none of the documents in it will open and if I try to open my documents in an older version of Pages it tells me that I need the new version which is available from the App Store.

This is a disaster! I have tried opening Pages whilst holding down the Shift key but to no avail."

All I did was to drag the documents I needed to open from Finder on my Mac to Pages within iCloud.

The documents which resolutely refused to open in the desktop Pages app open perfectly from within Pages in iCloud.

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Answer 10

Apr 1, 2014 7:08 AM in response to Julian Brown

Hi Julian,

I dragged the document to icloud, and it still cannot be opened.😟

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Answer 11

Julian Brown Author

Level 2

238 points

Apr 1, 2014 7:11 AM in response to Zifeiyu0311

I'm sorry to hear that. It worked for me.

But this just goes to prove what a mess Pages is currently in and how much Apple needs to step up and fix it!

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Answer 12

Apr 1, 2014 7:53 AM in response to Julian Brown

CANNOT OPEN PAGES DOCUMENTS USING PAGES '09, 4.3!

I do not have pages 5 on my computer. I have trashed it and emptied the trash basket.

I have never made a document using Pages 5

I have many Pages documents that I made with iWork's Pages '09 (v. 4.3)

I Have that had that application since 2009.

I cannot open any Pages documents with the exception of those documents that were originally Microsoft's .doc. and made into Pages automatically when opening them with Pages 4.3.

I have tried >Get Info> open with, etc., but with no success. I only get "You need a newer version of Pages…"

Is this solveable by me, or do I have to go to an Apple Store's Mac Genius?

I thought I had this solved months ago, but I downloaded Apple's recent update to Mavericks, and I know that it installed Pages 5 without me knowing it, but it has been treashed as of an hour ago.

Dave

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Answer 13

Apr 1, 2014 10:51 PM in response to MacBookProUser2010

Sounds like you open the files in Pages 5 and it has automatically saved them to the newer pages 5 format.

Either that or you have transfered them from an iPad or the like.

Peter

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