A corrupted PDF that refuses to open can bring your entire workflow to a grinding halt, depending on what is on that PDF. You could make alternate arrangements, but all that takes time. And time is money. So, when you are frustrated because of a PDF that does not open and you do not know why, you need a pdf repair tool to fix it.

You can look for a PDF repair tool online, and you will find several other kinds of tools such as word repair online, excel repair online, jpeg repair online, video repair online, etc. How to pick the right tool for the job and which tool will give you the best results? Read on to find out.

Part I: Why Is My PDF Corrupted?

Files and folders on your computer comprise of bits and bytes. Any single bit goes missing, and you can have a damaged/ corrupted file or folder. Below are some reasons why your PDF might have been damaged.

You Got a Bad PDF

This happens especially when someone hands you a flash drive; you open the drive and click on the file expecting it to open but instead you get the disconcerting error popup telling you that that the file is corrupt. It can happen when you download a file from an email and somehow it did not get downloaded completely and correctly.

Incorrect USB Drive Ejection Technique Caught Up with You

Hand on your heart, how many times have you pulled out the USB drive from the port without ejecting it first? Nothing happens, right? Well, that was your luck, and you might have run it down the last time you did that. USB drive, or any drive for that matter, is not designed to be pulled out or shut down directly. That can cause data corruption because the operating system was not in the loop here.

Other Reasons

There are other reasons, too, such as application crashes that could cause data corruption in the file, system crashes that could cause the files to go corrupt, and then there are always chances of virus infection or malware infestation.

To the right PDF repair tool, it does not matter what caused data corruption. It will recognize the scenario and work with it. And that is precisely the kind of PDF repair software you need. Most of the software are designed to work in limited number of scenarios, however, the difference between amateur and professional data repair software is just that – how easy it is to use it, the depth of scenarios you can use it in, and how successfully can it repair your data when you run it.

Part II: Professional Data Repair for Everyone – Wondershare Repairit

What can Wondershare Repairit do that other software cannot and why do we recommend it?

Wondershare Repairit is your complete and comprehensive data repair solution in one app. You can use it to repair any kind of file, including, as the focus of this article is, PDF files. Here are the top 5 reasons we recommend it!

  1. Never bother about file format support – Repairit supports nearly every format!
  2. Repair anywhere on any OS – Repairit supports Windows and macOS and can run in a web browser for true platform independence.
  3. Intuitive interface is a delight to use.
  4. File Previewer allows you to preview contents before saving files to disk.
  5. Support for multi-format batch processing means you can line up several types of files for repair in the same queue.

It is easy to repair PDFs with Wondershare Repairit. Just follow these simple steps:

Step 1: Launch Repairit and Click File Repair under More Types Repair in the sidebar.

Step 2: Browse your files and add them with the Add button or drag and drop them into the app.

CONVENIENCE FEATURE: Multi-format Batch Processing 

With Repairit, you can queue several files for processing, and they don’t have to be of a single type. Add any file format to queue for processing and Repairit will process it.

Step 3: Click Repair.

When the repair complete notification pops up, click OK.

CONVENIENCE FEATURE: FILE PREVIEW 

Repairit gives you the choice to preview your repaired file contents before you save to disk, allowing you to save on time and efforts.

Step 4: Click Save All (or Save) and save the files to your desired location.

Click OK when the files are saved.

Part III: Avoiding Data Corruption

In the world of computing, data corruption and data loss are like two swords hanging on your head all the time. You cannot shake them away, no matter what. But what you can do is make sure those swords do not fall, to the best of your abilities. Use these tips to prevent the swords of data corruption and/ or data loss fall on your work.

Tip 1: Handle USB Drives with Care

The simple act of ejecting USB drives first before removing and then storing them in a cool and dry place can ensure longevity of both the data on the drive and the drive itself.

Tip 2: Keep All Software Updated

Updated software comes with bugfixes that might prevent software crashes and consequent data corruption or loss. In the same light, keeping the operating system software updated is crucial to system stability.

Tip 3: Never Shutdown Your Computer Abruptly

Shutting down the computer using the operating system makes sure that all necessary processes are completed before power is turned off. That is the sole purpose of shutting down from the operating system. This way, the operating system has saved all data, and knows what to expect the next time you power up the system. When you switch off directly from the mains, the operating system has to pick up the pieces, and it might not know what to do with some of them. These could be files that will no longer work as you expect them to.

Tip 4: Protect Your Data from Threats

Your data is under constant threat from both offline and online sources. A virus could enter your system from the internet or from that USB drive you just plugged in. A reputed antivirus and antimalware software helps prevent damage from such threats.

Closing Words

A PDF that refuses to open is highly annoying. There are three things you can do here. First, you can update your PDF software to see if that fixes it. This is because sometimes, an update is all it takes to fix some bug you might have been unaware of until now. Second, you can try using another PDF software to see if that works. Sometimes, some kinds of PDF files only work with PDF software that support those kinds. If neither of the two worked, you can now try to repair PDF with a PDF repair tool such as Wondershare Repairit, a comprehensive PDF repair software that repairs all kinds of files in just a few clicks of the button.