Cannot open pdf, shows "0" bytes, have used for the last 2 years

[jays8426124]

I have a pdf document that I have been using for the past 2 years that suddenly is showing "0"bytes", when trying to open the document, I get a message stating, could not open because it is not a supported file or the file has been damaged.  I am currently still using Windows 8.  I can ope up Reader and still see the document in a small "tile" but it will not open.  Is there any solution for this, a way to recover the file?  Does Adobe have anyone that can do a "remote" session (don't mind paying for it).

Thanks

[Meenakshi Negi · Accepted solution]

Hi Jays,

As the PDF shows as "0" bytes, it means the file is empty.

It seems that the file has been damaged.

Sorry to say it is not possible to recover the file once it is damaged.

Please check if you have saved the copy of that file to some other location.

Adobe Reader is a free software that helps with viewing, printing, singing or annotating PDFs.

As you say you can see it in a small tile in Reader, are you referring to the Recent list of the documents?

What is the size of the PDF shows there? If it is "0" KB, you will not be able to open it.

Let us know if you have any questions.

Regards,

Meenakshi

[MARK D27229904oz57]

I experienced the same thing.  My pdf files for 2020, and 2021 show zero KB.  How can this happen?  I understand what it means but what did Adobe do to cause this to happen?  I saved my documents in Microsoft Cloud and the very same documents show zero KB.  It could not have happened by chance.

[Ejaz31477017b2qj]

I have same problem with 0kb. and my file was also from 2020 and 2021 how is that possible and its very strange.

[Bernd Alheit]

May be a issue of Microsoft Cloud. 

[Deborah Slater]

I encountered this problem just today (March 5, 2025),  and I selected all the PDFs that were showing as 0K and attempted to open them in the Books application. Interestingly, they did not open in Books, but every one of them opened in Acrobat Pro. Just to be clear, I had not asked the computer to open them in Acrobat, but had chosen Books as the application I wanted them to be opened in. Right before my eyes, one by one, they started opening in Acrobat. Weird, I know, but all of them are okay now. There were 13 of them. 

[Deborah Slater]

One more note. I just now checked, and every one of them is showing up in the Books application as well.

[AnandSri]

Hello Deborah!

I hope you are doing well.

If the default application for PDF files is set to Acrobat, they will open in Acrobat. To open them in a different application, ensure the app supports PDFs and update your system’s app opening default settings.

However, if the file size is 0 KB, the file is likely damaged. In this case, you will need to recreate it as an Adobe PDF from the original source file. If you have access to the source, use the appropriate application to generate a new Adobe PDF. Please see this article for more details: https://adobe.ly/41MDYXC

Let us know if you have a different question.

Thanks,

Anand Sri.

[Josue sombo]

Hello guys,

1. I have the same problem with my  pdf documents. One  day before I opened in my laptop but yesterday night when I was trying to open it pdf reader tell me that File can't be open or file has  been domaged. And all the size change to 0kb. Thank any help how to recover may be helpful  because It is my boss documents.

[Test Screen Name]

You need to get them back from the backups you take. Also this may mean the disk is failing, have it checked. 

[Josue sombo]

That's mean no way to recover it. 😭