Large Pages document grinding to a halt, won't save

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Level 1

4 points

Large Pages document grinding to a halt, won't save

I have a non-iCloud Pages file that includes images and other dynamic content that I've edited without incident multiple times over the years in Pages. It's a 13MB file.

Now, in Pages 5.6.1 (2562), I opened the document, selected to update the last edited date feature, then it became unresponsive. It pegs one or two processors on the machine (MacBook Pro 13-inch, Late 2011, with 16GB memory on 2.4 GHz Core i5 running El Capitan 10.11.4). I can't interact with the document.

I've left it open overnight and it's still running at 100% or 200% sometimes, only adding an error that it can't autosave. I tried closing it multiple times and ended up force quitting Pages out of impatience. As soon as I reopen it, it hangs again. Today, I tried closing the doc again, and was able to press the red X to close it. I clicked for it to save changes but, after Pages closed the doc, it remains unchanged since Mar 19.

Since closing the file, I've tested other files and they seem ok.

I'll try to open the doc again and see what happens, but I was unable to use Pages all of last week because of this. Any ideas?

MacBook Pro (13-inch Late 2011), OS X El Capitan (10.11.4)

Posted on Apr 4, 2016 8:53 AM

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Answer 1

Apr 4, 2016 11:39 AM in response to JesseStu

Press and hold the shift key while opening that problematic Pages document. Then save it properly from the File menu, or command+S shortcut.

Depending on how Apple wrote Pages v5.6.1 to handle the red traffic light click event, it might have internal behavior contrary to your expectations. I never close a Pages document via the red traffic light, and I never had Pages document issues - unless the application just gets amnesia.

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Answer 2

JesseStu Author

Level 1

4 points

Apr 25, 2016 10:07 AM in response to VikingOSX

Thanks, VikingOSX. I tried the shift key thing lots of times, to no change. Apple emailed me asking for the file and system information. Hopefully this gets solved in Pages as this file is an encyclopedic reference I use for my work.

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Answer 3

Apr 25, 2016 10:41 AM in response to JesseStu

includes images and other dynamic content that I've edited without incident multiple times over the years in Pages

I have had a couple of thoughts about this.

A Pages '09 document opened and converted within Pages v5.6.1

Some features in Pages '09 that are unsupported in Pages v5.6.1 may not have converted well, leaving it in a mangled state
Not iCloud, but where specifically is this document located? Where are you attempting to save too?
- Dropbox?
- Network Attached Server?
- Another cloud service?
- Microsoft Share?
- External drive?

It is quite unusual for Apple to reach out via email, and ask for file and system information.

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Answer 4

Apr 25, 2016 3:46 PM in response to JesseStu

Pages '09 is quite efficient and well written software.

Pages 5.6.1 is not. I have tried multiplying simple graphics elements on a powerful MacPro that grinds to a halt with a relatively small number in Pages 5.6.1 but goes on smoothly for many more elements in Pages '09 on a humble iMac.

Peter

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Answer 5

JesseStu Author

Level 1

4 points

Apr 27, 2016 1:38 PM in response to VikingOSX

@VikingOSX

I didn't think I'd ever put this on cloud storage, but I remember now that I used to have the file's containing folder in a symlink folder on Dropbox. I've since deleted that symlink.

Regarding bad file conversion and @PeterBreis0807 comment, I might try to duplicate the document then let it crawl and try to delete pictures. I don't have much patience for that, if it will even work.

Another thought: how can I get my hands on Pages '09…

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Answer 6

Apr 27, 2016 1:43 PM in response to JesseStu

Pages '09 is in the retail iWork '09 DVD which can be found on Amazon and Ebay. Be absolutely certain that you are getting a retail version fo the iWork '09 DVD as trial versions were circulated several years ago, and the licensing servers are long gone. Once you install from the iWork '09 DVD, you will need to update it with the Apple iWork 9.3 updater — a mandatory update for El Capitan compatibility. The updater gets you to Pages '09 v4.3.

You will have to export any Pages v5 documents to Pages 09 format for backward compatibility.

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Answer 7

JesseStu Author

Level 1

4 points

Apr 27, 2016 1:51 PM in response to VikingOSX

I have those install discs somewhere, though they might be long gone thanks to my blind faith in the Mac App Store.

My first step will be to see if I can get it exported.

Thanks for your insight.

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Answer 8

JesseStu Author

Level 1

4 points

May 10, 2016 11:29 AM in response to JesseStu

Ok, I share a final post of success in accessing the document again.

Yesterday, I opened activity monitor and the Pages document in Pages 5. Whenever I noticed it stopped pegging Activity Monitor, I scrolled in the file and deleted the images in the file. It took a couple hours to scroll and delete three images. Once they were gone, it was back to a normal document that I could save, open, close, etc.

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