PDFs are popular because they maintain the layout and formatting, regardless of your device. This ensures consistency in your content's appearance, providing a sense of security.
However, like any other tool, PDF files can be damaged. You may encounter a situation where your reliable PDF suddenly becomes unreadable, showing scrambled text or broken elements. Or, in some instances, you might fail to open it, seeing error messages like "There was an error opening this document" or "File not readable."
If you do not know how to handle these problems, you may lose important information. The good news, however, is that there's a solution. There's a way to fix and recover your missing content, even for corrupted files.
This article will provide a step-by-step guide for repairing a broken document, extracting missing contents, and rebuilding the PDF. We'll also share tips on how to prevent future document damage.
Preparing for repair
1. Back up the file. This ensures you still have the original file if anything goes wrong during the repair.
2. Identify the extent of damage. Open the file in a PDF editor online and assess and note the severity of the damage.
3. Install reliable PDF repair software. Research and install a reputable PDF repair tool. Ensure it has positive reviews and a track record of successfully repairing damaged files. If your PDF editor has an inbuilt damaged file repair tool, make sure it is reliable.
4. Ensure adequate disk space: You may need sufficient space for repair processes like temporary file creation and backup storage.
Using built-in repair tools
Built-in repair tools can be a quick and convenient way to salvage your file without additional software. They offer basic repair functionalities, such as fixing corrupted headers, reconstructing damaged content, or removing broken elements.
To access one, open your PDF viewer or editor. Look for options like "Repair PDF" or "Restore Document." Then, locate the repair feature and follow the on-screen prompts to initiate the process.
While they may not be as comprehensive as dedicated repair software, built-in tools can still resolve many common issues and restore your document to a readable state.
Using third-party repair software
Third-party paid or free repair software can be your next best bet when built-in repair tools Follow these steps:
Research and select a reputable tool: Look for software with positive reviews and a history of successful repairs. Consider factors like ease of use, compatibility with your operating system, and pricing.
Launch the repair wizard and add the corrupted file. Launch the repair software and select the option to open or import the damaged file.
Repair the PDF: Follow the on-screen instructions to start the repair process. This may involve scanning the file for errors, identifying corrupted elements, and attempting to repair or rebuild them.
Preview and save: After the repair process, preview the fixed document by clicking "OK." Once you're confident it's all repaired, save it in your preferred location.
Extracting content from damaged PDFs
Use copy-paste: To begin, copy and paste the text from the damaged PDF into a text editor or word processor. This method works best for simple text documents but may not preserve formatting or images.
Convert to another format: If copy-paste isn't an option, try converting the PDF to another format like Word or HTML using online converters or software.
Use Optical Character Recognition (OCR). OCR is a scanned PDF to editable PDF converter. Even if the file is damaged, OCR might still recognize and extract text.
Professional services. Consider professional services specializing in data recovery for heavily damaged or complex documents. They may have advanced tools to extract content from severely corrupted files.
Rebuilding the PDF
Rebuilding a PDF requires patience and attention to detail. Follow these steps:
Use a PDF editor. Open a reliable and easy-to-use-online PDF editor like Lumin, capable of rebuilding damaged files. Import the extracted or repaired content into the editor.
Recreate missing elements. If any components, such as fonts or images, are still missing, recreate them manually or find suitable replacements.
Format the document. Apply formatting styles, fonts, colors, and layouts to match the original document as closely as possible.
Save the rebuilt document. Once satisfied with the reconstruction, save the document securely to prevent future issues.
Verifying repaired PDFs
To verify that your repaired PDF is now in good condition and ready for use:
Check for errors. Carefully review the entire document to check for any remaining errors, missing content, links and bookmarks, or formatting issues. Pay close attention to text clarity, image quality, and overall layout.
Perform a text search. Use the search function to look for specific words or phrases within the document to confirm that the text is searchable and selectable.
Test print. Finally, test printing the document to ensure it prints correctly without errors or missing elements.
Tips for preventing future PDF damage
To safeguard your documents and minimize the risk of future damage, consider these simple yet effective tips:
Regular backups. Make it a habit to back up your PDF files regularly. This way, you prevent loss in case of corruption or accidental deletion.
Use reliable storage. Store your documents on reliable storage devices or cloud services to minimize the risk of corruption due to hardware failure.
Update software. Keep your PDF viewer, editor, and operating system updated with the latest patches and updates to avoid compatibility issues and vulnerabilities.
Be cautious with file transfers. Exercise caution when transferring files between devices or sharing them online to prevent corruption from file transfer errors or malware. Sometimes, you might need to compress or reduce PDF sizes. It may also be necessary for you to split or merge pages. That’s perfectly okay. Just be sure to use a trusted PDF edit or modifier tool to minimize the risk of file corruption.
Avoid sudden interruptions. To prevent corruption, save your files frequently and avoid abrupt shutdowns or interruptions during saving or editing.
Educate users. Provide training and guidelines to users on best practices for handling PDF files. Give them clear instructions and tips on transferring and converting files, filling out forms, and signing PDFs. A short training session can help prevent accidental mistakes or file corruption.
Conclusion
While damaged PDF files can be frustrating, they are not necessarily irreparable. With the right tools and techniques, you can often recover lost content and make your document accurate and fully functional again. Follow the steps outlined in this guide and implement preventive measures to safeguard your PDFs against future damage. After the reparations, check if you can use the highlighter or annotation tool or perform other things in the document.
Issue # | Category | Yes/No |
1 | Product relevance | Yes |
2 | Naming conventions | Yes |
3 | Language | Yes |
4.1 | Tone of voice: respond to the problem | Yes |
4.2 | Tone of voice: make it clear | Yes |
4.3 | Tone of voice: appropriate | Yes |
4.4 | Tone of voice: no buzzwords | Yes |
4.5 | Tone of voice: sentence case | Yes |
5 | Article length | Yes |
6 | Organic use of keywords | Yes |
7 | Factually correct | Yes |
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