Pages error: "The required index.xml file is missing."

No version of Pages, Spotlight, or the Finder's Get Info will inform you about the version of Pages that created the document. Today, I tossed together an AppleScript that generically pops a display informing about a selected Pages document:

• Pages '09 or older
• Pages v5 or newer

Although I wrote a Python script that digs into the Pages documents and extracts the explict version information of the application that created, or edited it, the intimidation factor of the code would likely gather more attention that its utility. The AppleScript will suffice for generalities.

One copies and pastes the code into (launchpad : Other : Script Editor), and runs it.

Only the owner of the original post can mark a responding post as either helpful, or solved.

One thing that you might choose to do is create custom tags in the Finder Preferences, and assign these to known Pages '09, and Pages v5/v6 documents respectively.

When you click the document name in the Title bar of Pages, you can set the appropriate tag color there, or by right-clicking in the Finder, and selecting Tags... for the appropriate setting when outside of Pages.

When these tags are set, you can use Spotlight (if indexing is enabled), or the Finder search window, to use the terminology: tag:Pages '09. This will find all Pages documents that you have tagged with Pages '09.

I'm having a similar problem transferring pages files from a new iPad to an older iMac (Pages 4.2 from '08). Obviously if it's just text, I splice it into the body of the email and send to myself. However, I found a workaround which may be of interest: I can open the new pages file on my old Mac in Preview (Ctrl-click on the file), then export from Preview to pages on the old Mac and it opens fine.

Dear Peter

Many thanks. Sorry, I got this wrong - I opened the wrong file - silly mistake.

Is there a way I can tell which version of pages created a document without testing whether it opens? The version doesn't seem to show up when I look at the Info (apple-I) pane for a document.

If I upgrade from Lion to Sierra, buy the latest version of Pages and start converting my old pages file, is there any way I can keep two version of the same pages file other than by changing the title of the new one?

Neil

1. If they are Pages '09 files keep them as Pages '09 files.

2. If you must use Pages 6.05 because you want to open it on your iPad, you can save it to a separate folder but it would be wise to add a suffix or mark to the file name so ou can differentiate the two.

3. If you intend to completely migrate to Pages 6.05, then you can batch name the Pages '09 files with say… [09] and remove that when you resave as Pages 6.05.

A problem with the newer Pages is that it doesn't end there, every small iteration that comes out with each MacOS is generally only openable by that version on that MacOS.

Peter

Thanks so much. I've now got both versions of Pages in my Applications folder - Pages'09 V4.2(1008) and Pages 6.0.8. They are both in my dock with the same icon, but when I actually launch 6.0.8 the icon changes to the modern one. (Strange, but that's fine.)

I shall follow your advice and leave my Pages'09 documents as they are, at least for the time being, and just use Version 6 for files I need to share with my iPad, which isn't very many, and, as you suggest, keep both versions and add a marker to the V6 ones. I'll also make sure that I keep long-life files (like family history research) in rtf versions, which I presume will continue to be openable even if Pages vanishes altogether. If I do decide to go over to V6 altogether, you suggest "batch naming" the '09 files. How do I do that?

I had to go through quite a process to get V6. I bought '09 years ago, setting up an AppleID which was just my name - plus password. Then later on when it became obligatory for the AppleID to be an email address, I set one up with my email address and a new password, which is what I now normally use. When I tried to get the Pages update, AppStore told me I couldn't do so because someone else had bought Pages, or it had been returned and refunded. I even tried deleting Pages and trying to buy it again, and still got the same message. I somehow (can't remember how) managed to get into AppStore with my old AppleID and password, and it happily gave me the updates for Pages, Numbers and two or three other Apps. However, now whenever I launch AppStore, it offers me my old ID. I've tried going onto the "edit appleID" page and resetting it to my new ID, but it makes no difference, AppStore still offers me the old one. I'm happy to live with two appleIDs, but I do need to be able to get to both. Can you suggest how I can do that?

Sorry to keep on with more problems - I really do appreciate your advice

Brilliant! I've run your script successfully and saved it to my desktop. I'm sure it will be a great help as I negotiate my way around my mixed files.

Incidentally, as you will have seen, I've had lots of very useful advice on this issue. However, yours is the first that I've been able to mark as Helpful (i.e. add 1 to the box). I'm not sure how I did it and I lost my typing a couple of times in the process but maybe you could tell me the proper way to add an acknowledgement.

You are showing the wrong version of OS X in your tag.

You have opened a Pages 5.2.2 file with Pages '09. They are both on your system.

Pages 5.2.2 is in your Applications folder.

Pages '09 is in your Applications/iWork folder.

Right click on the document and chose the correct version to open it with.

Peter

Pages 5.2.2 will open and convert your Pages '09 files. Sometimes not very well.

Pages '09 will then be unable to open the converted files.

Pages '09 is far more capable than Pages 5.2.2 which not only is missing over 100 features, it is also buggy.

You can keep both on your Mac and just be conscious of which one opens which file, perhaps naming one version's files. Or you can trash one. If it is Pages 5.2.2 first export your newer files back to Pages '09 versions so it can open them.

Peter

I exported my 5.2.2 file to 09. The conversion of the graphics didn't have the layers in the right order and duplicated some, but didn't take too much work to sort out.

I´m having a similar problem: Several older pages documents won´t open - neither in Pages 5.5.3 nor in Pages '09 (v4.0). This is a very serious problem for me and despite multiple searches I could´t find a solution. I need these documents (at very least the text in them).

Any ideas?

Martin

Any messages?

What is the origin of the files?

Have you transferred them using iCloud or a FAT32 formatted USB key?

Peter

messages: (in German): "to open this document you need a newer version of pages": I´m using Pages 5.5.3. If I try to open in Pages '09 (4.0) I get (in German): "

The origin if the files: generated in Pages itself - it might be the case that these are files that were converted from Pages'09 to the new version

file transfer: can´t say - certainly not with FAT32 USB, but since I extensively copy and transfer files between my multiple Macs - either through the cloud or direct file transfer, I can´t say. Nevertheless, I'm having the identical problem on both my iMac and my MBPro (both running OS X 10.10.5).

Martin

Martin,

Pages '08 documents will not open in any release of Pages v5 as it no longer supports them. It will warn you that they must first be opened in Pages '09.

Pages '09 documents contain an internal index.xml file, and Pages v5 documents, being a different document architecture, do not use that file. Thus, if Pages '09 is open, and one double-clicks a Pages v5 document, then Pages '09 will warn you about the missing index.xml file. If no Pages application is running, then double-clicking any Pages document will attempt to open it in the most recent version of Pages in the Applications folder.

There have been occasions where Pages v5.2.2 on Mavericks, when double-clicking on a known Pages v5 document, will still refuse to open it and tell me that I need a newer version of Pages. This is temporary, as I either do an open with, or after 3 or 4 tries, the document opens as it should.

Pages v5.5.n documents by are by default, single file format documents (zip/compressed and renamed folders). These are incompatible with Pages v5.2.2 on Mavericks until one uses the Pages v5.5.n File menu ▸ Advanced ▸ Change File Type ▸ Package, and then explicitly saves the document.

Package folder documents are incompatible with non-Apple filesystems as only the Finder spoofs Pages into believing these folder documents are really files.