The PDF it is perhaps the most popular format for creating and viewing documents. PDF stands for Portable Document Format – and is so named because it can be managed on all types of devices without software, hardware or operating system limitations. Any document created on your PC can easily be viewed on your Mac or even your smartphone and tablet.
PDF is a preferred format over other formats, such as Word, because it adds an additional security level that other formats do not have. PDF documents are indeed notoriously difficult to edit unless you use a PDF Editor program. You can also set up password protection or even use watermarks to prevent other people from sharing your document.
But even the PDF is not infallible. The PDF can also suddenly become corrupted or damaged, thus preventing us from opening and viewing it. We have already seen how repair corrupt files in Word, Excel, Powerpoint, ZIP and even JPEG formats. In this article it is the turn of PDF format and we will find out How to Repair Corrupted or Damaged PDF.
When does a PDF file get damaged?
One of the main reasons behind a corrupt PDF is how it was created. The use of free online tools or improper software, can generate non-standard PDFs which therefore do not open correctly. In this regard we recommend you read the article “Cannot open PDF” which tells you how to find out if a PDF is really damaged.
Excessive use of the PDF file can also lead to corruption, especially due to software glitches. Many users also report that their PDF files open very slowly or not at all after viewing them online multiple times. Opening a PDF file on the browser rather than on a dedicated reader can in fact cause file corruption.
If you are trying to open a PDF file from a link within your browser, you may encounter errors and the file may not open. This may be due to the missing plugin in your browser that allows you to view PDF files.
Or when you send PDF files via email, they are likely to be corrupted because they are not fully loaded. To prevent this from happening it is always advisable to first use a compression program such as WinZip that compresses the PDF.
Other Possible causes of PDF file corruption are connection errors while downloading the PDF file (resulting in a partial download), HDD failure, power outages, compression errors, system errors, modifications, printing, and virus attacks.26
Now that we know all the possible causes of PDF file corruption, we can proceed to see how to repair them!
How to Repair Corrupt or Damaged PDF
If you encounter one of the following errors then you are faced with a corrupt PDF and you can try to repair it:
- PDF file not readable with your software
- The root object is invalid or missing
- The file is damaged or corrupt
- An error occurred while opening this document
- An error occurred while processing this page
- Information not understood by the viewer
- Formatting error: It is not a PDF file or it is damaged
The best way to fix and repair corrupt PDFs is to use a tool PDF repair. Among these we highlight the program PDF Repair.
Here’s how it works:
Step 1. Download, install and launch PDF Repair
Click on the following button to access the page from which you can download the free demo version of the program:
Here is the main window that will open immediately after installation:
Step 2. Import PDF files to repair
Click on the button at the top left SELECT FILES to import the corrupt PDF
Step 3. Start PDF Repair
Click on the bottom right REPAIR to start repairing the selected PDF. At this point you just have to wait for the end of the process. Under the “Program Indicator” column you will see the writing “Done” as soon as the repair is completed.
Related article:
PDF Won’t Open? Here’s how to fix it.
