Fix the PDF error “The file is damaged and could not be repaired”

Read time 6 minutes

While trying to open a PDF file, you are receiving an error stating, “The file is damaged and could not be repaired.” Many users have complained about this error and also raised their queries on how to fix it. This error may occur due to many reasons. In this blog, we are going to discuss the reasons for the occurrence of this error. We will also discuss the best possible solutions for this error. Let’s proceed with the reason and solutions!

Why might you be facing this error?

There are several reasons why you might be facing this error:

• Corruption may happen if the PDF file is downloaded improperly due to asudden shutdown, unstable internet connection, or a bulky file
• Due to virus and malware attacks
• Security settings in Adobe Acrobat
• Broken or outdated PDF Reader
• Interruption while transferring (copying) the file
• Temporary files and cache
• Complications in the programs or its abrupt termination
• Corruption in PDF file

As many reasons lead to this error, there are many solutions as well. Below, we are going to mention the most successful solutions to fix the error.

• Download/transfer again
  If you downloaded or transferred the video from some external source, it is advisable to do it again. Sometimes, while downloading a file, there are chances of it ending up with a broken or incomplete file. Hence, if you still have access to the source or origin of the file, it is recommended to download or transfer the file again.
• Clear temporary files
  If you haven’t cleared your temporary internet files recently, then now is the time to do so. Sometimes, temporary files are the ones that create this problem, and it is necessary to delete them. For this, press the Win + R key and type inetcpl.cpl, and in the Internet properties dialogue box, Delete the browsing history.
• Repair Adobe Acrobat Reader

  Step 1- Press Windows Key + X, and a menu will appear; select Control Panel.

  Step 2- Go to the program and click on Uninstall a program.

  Step 3- Go for Adobe Acrobat Reader, then right-click and select Change from the menu.

  Step 4- Now click next and then select the Repair option.

  Step 5- Continue with the repair process and then reboot your system

  Step 6- Finally, relaunch Adobe Acrobat Reader to see if the issue is resolved or not

• Change Adobe’s Security Settings

Too tight security measures in Adobe Acrobat can also cause this error. In this case, you might need to change the security settings, which will help open the file. For this, follow the below-mentioned steps:

1. Run Adobe PDF Acrobat and click on the Edit menu in the toolbar.
   
2. In the Edit menu, select Preferences.
   
3. Now, under Enhanced Security, clear the Enable Enhanced Security option. Before moving forward, make sure that the Protected View is checked Off.
   
4. Finally, click on OK to finish the process.

Once you follow all the above-mentioned steps successfully, you should be able to open the file without any issues.

• Update Adobe Acrobat Reader
  1. Firstly, open Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader, go to the top right, and click Help.
  2. Select “Check for Updates” from the Help menu
  3. Now check for updates; if there are any updates available, install them.
  4. After completion of the update, reboot the system to save changes.

• Reinstall Adobe PDF Reader
  You might also be facing this error due to the broken or outdated version of the Adobe PDF reader. If it is so, then first uninstall the Adobe PDF reader and then install the latest version of it on your system.
• Fix with Kernel for PDF Repair
  This error might occur due to the corruption of the PDF file, so it is recommended to use Kernel for PDF Repair. It is an automated third-party tool that repairs corrupt, damaged, and broken PDF file(s) in no time. This tool is unique because of its friendly user interface and descriptive features. This tool supports all versions of Windows and PDF files generated from any version of Adobe Acrobat.

Let’s learn A simple way to repair Adobe PDF files step by step:

• Start with downloading the tool from its website, then install it properly into your system and run.
• Now, the home screen of the tool will be in front of you; there, click on the Select File(s) option and add files from its location on your system.
  
  Note: You can add as many files as you wish, and if you want to remove any, you can use the Remove File(s) option to do so.
• Now, click on the Repair option to start the repair process.
  
• Once all the steps are performed properly, the tool will start repairing the files one by one. The tool will display the report of the repair process live on the screen, as shown in the snippet.
  

Stop: Click on the Stop button anytime to stop the whole process.

So, this is how one can repair a PDF file with Kernel for PDF Repair. You can also learn to Open PDF Documents in Microsoft Edge easily.

Conclusion

In this article, we discussed the error “The file is damaged and could not be repaired” in a PDF file. We discussed many reasons for its occurrence and tried to provide the best solutions for it. When it comes to corruption, Kernel for PDF Repair is all you will need. Don’t waste your time trying other methods that do not even guarantee results.