Repair a PDF That Will Not Open
Most unreadable PDFs are structurally broken rather than empty: the index that tells a viewer where each page lives has been damaged.
What this tool does
Rebuilds a PDF that will not open: a broken cross-reference table, a truncated download or a file damaged by a failed save is reconstructed page by page into a new, readable document.
How it works
Upload the damaged file and download the rebuilt copy. Recovery works from whatever valid objects remain, so pages that were never written cannot come back. Keep the original alongside the repair until you have checked the page count and the last page.
- Choose the PDF, or drag it onto the page.
- Run the tool and download the result.
When to reach for it
- A download stops at 99% and the PDF will not open. The pages are usually intact; the index is not.
- A save failed and the file refuses to load. Rebuild it into a new document.
Questions we get
What kinds of damage can it fix?
Truncated uploads and broken internal structures — pikepdf (the library behind QPDF) rebuilds the file's cross-reference table from the objects it can still find, then writes a complete PDF again. Pages whose data was never written cannot be invented; everything that is still in the file comes back.
Does repair remove a password?
No — a password-protected file must be opened first. Run Unlock with the password, then repair the unlocked copy if it is still damaged.
Where it fits
The tools people usually open next to Repair:
- Flatten — Makes fillable PDFs read-only. Print & scan in one step
- Compress — Reduce the size of your PDF.
- Edit PDF — Fill & sign PDF. Add text, links, images and shapes. Annotate.
Every tool works on a copy, so the original file is never modified. Uploads are stored under an unguessable id and deleted automatically two hours after you last open them; nothing is listed, shared or indexed. More on the security page.