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jays8426124
Participant
March 6, 2018
Answered

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

  • March 6, 2018
  • 2 replies
  • 52210 views

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

      Correct answer Meenakshi_Negi

      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

      2 replies

      J
      Josue sombo
      Participant
      November 14, 2021

      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.
      T
      Test Screen Name
      Legend
      November 14, 2021

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

      J
      Josue sombo
      Participant
      November 16, 2021

      That's mean no way to recover it. 😭

      Meenakshi_Negi
      Meenakshi_NegiCorrect answer
      Legend
      March 6, 2018

      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

      D
      Deborah Slater
      Participant
      March 6, 2025

      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. 

      D
      Deborah Slater
      Participant
      March 6, 2025

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

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