Your PDF won't open. Maybe it's giving errors, showing blank pages, or crashing your reader. Corrupted PDFs aren't always lost causes — our repair tool attempts to recover what's salvageable and rebuild a working document.
This guide covers what causes PDF corruption, how to attempt repair, and what to expect from the results.
Signs Your PDF is Corrupted
- Error messages: "File is damaged and could not be repaired"
- Won't open at all: Reader crashes or hangs when you try
- Blank pages: Some or all pages appear empty
- Missing content: Text or images that should be there aren't
- Garbled text: Characters appear scrambled or wrong
- Partial loading: Only some pages display correctly
What Causes Corruption
Incomplete Downloads
Internet connection dropped during download? The file is incomplete and can't be read properly.
Transfer Errors
Moving files between devices or sending via email can sometimes corrupt data, especially with unreliable connections.
Storage Problems
Bad sectors on hard drives or failing USB drives can corrupt files. Cloud sync conflicts can also damage PDFs.
Software Crashes
If software crashed while creating or saving a PDF, the file may have been improperly closed.
Virus or Malware
Malicious software can damage files on your system, including PDFs.
How to Repair a PDF
- Upload: Go to our Repair PDF tool and select the damaged file
- Analyze: We scan the file structure to identify problems and recoverable content
- Repair: Rebuild the PDF using recovered data
- Download: Get your repaired document
Before Attempting Repair
Try Different Readers
Sometimes a PDF that won't open in one reader works in another. Try Adobe Reader, Chrome's built-in viewer, or Preview on Mac before assuming corruption.
Re-download If Possible
If you downloaded the PDF from somewhere, try downloading again. A fresh copy may not have the corruption.
Check Your Backup
If you have backups (cloud sync, Time Machine, etc.), restore an older version instead of repairing.
What Repair Can and Can't Do
Can Often Fix:
- Damaged file structure
- Truncated files (incomplete downloads)
- Header/footer corruption
- Some missing cross-references
May Not Fix:
- Content that was never in the file
- Encryption without the password
- Severely overwritten data
- Physical storage damage
Preventing Future Corruption
- Complete downloads: Wait for downloads to finish fully
- Verify transfers: Check file sizes after copying
- Regular backups: Keep copies of important documents
- Healthy storage: Replace aging hard drives and USB sticks
- Proper ejection: Always safely eject external drives
Related Tools
Common Questions
Why didn't all my content recover?
Severely damaged sections may be unrecoverable. The repair tool salvages what's possible, but it can't recreate missing data.
Is my original file safe during repair?
Yes. Repair creates a new file. Your original (however damaged) remains unchanged.
Can I repair password-protected files?
Only if you know the password. Encryption without the key can't be bypassed.
Try to recover your document. Repair now — free.