I can't open old documents in Numbers. When I try this comes up:
But I'm on the latest version (3.5.2), or at least, there is no option in the App Store to update. What can I do?
Numbers 3.5.2-OTHER, OS X Yosemite (10.10.2)
Hi Sabrina,
You may be trying to open a Numbers 3 document with Numbers '09
Wayne Contello has written a User Tip for working with the old and new versions of iWork.
Need newer version of Numbers to open file
Regards,
Ian.
Hi Yellowbox,
Thank you for your reply. I definitely have the 3.5.2 version open, though.
Best,
Sabrina
I definitely have the 3.5.2 version open, though.
If you have it open, have you tried choosing File > Open in your Numbers 3 menu, and then navigating to the document you want to open?
(as opposed to double-clicking the document in Finder)
SG
Forget that, brain malfunction
3.5.2 is the latest version of Numbers.
Hi SGIII,
I have tried that and the same thing happens. Thank you all the same though.
When you choose Numbers > About Numbers do you see this?
SG
Yes:
Sabrina
One possibility then is that your document may somehow have been corrupted. Any chance of restoring from a Time Machine backup?
If it's stored in iCloud, you could also try opening it at iCloud.com and downloading a copy from the "Tool" icon.
If you do happen to use Time Machine and did save it in iCloud but can't find a current version there, then you can try navigating to the locally stored copy (in Finder hold down the option key and in the menu Go > Library > Mobile Documents > Numbers), entering Time Machine and "restoring" a previous version.
SG
I didn't store it in the iCloud; I used my USB stick. 😟 Is Time Machine just for documents stored in the iCloud? I've never used it.
Sabrina
Time Machine generally backs up everything in your user account, whether local copies of iCloud documents or other documents you may have locally.
If you have another copy of the document on your USB stick you might want to give that copy a try.
Another possibility worth a try: Make a copy of the document that you can't open as a backup. Then in Finder try changing the .numbers extension to something else and then back to .numbers again.
And also this might help: in Launchpad hold down the option key until the icons shake and click the x by the Numbers version with the four columns to uninstall it. Then download Numbers again from the Mac App Store.
SG
I've tried the .numbers file extension thing and it didn't help. I even tried opening the document in Numbers '09 and that came up with another error message. Maybe the files were just corrupted (though when that's happened before I've had a different error message again).
If I uninstall Numbers, will I have to pay to reinstall it?
Thank you for helping me. 🙂
Sabrina
You should not have to pay to reinstall it.
Before you go that route, though, you first might try to test if you can reproduce the problems with another document. If it's just one document that causes the problem then uninstalling and redownloading the app probably will not help.
SG
I suspect it must be the result of having forgotten to eject my usb stick before. I didn't think it was before because the message didn't imply it, but some other kinds of files won't open either. Thank you for your help anyway. 🙂
Sabrina
It says I need a new version, but I'm on the 3.5.2
