How to Fix Corrupt InDesign Files: Can a Script Convert to IDML Without Opening?

[dublove]

I've run into file corruption before. Asked for advice at the time and he fixed it for me for free.
He couldn't be bothered to share his method with me me when I asked him to show me how to do it.
I have also seen similar tools available online, the free ones can't fix it and the paid ones I haven't tried.
In the past few days, I have seen online that you can use a script to convert the file to IDML, is there really such a script?
Convert directly with a script without opening the file?

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[Barb Binder]

Maybe you are looking for this one, from @Peter Kahrel?

https://creativepro.com/files/kahrel/indesign/batch_convert.html

Peter's scripts are donation-ware—if it solves the issue for you, please consider a donation using the link at the bottom of the page.

~Barb

[Peter Spier]

To convert to .idml (which I presume is what you mean) the file must open. There is, however a "blind open and convert" script that bybasses the user interface and sometimnes works that you can copy from Kasyan's site at http://kasyan.ho.ua/indesign/all/blind_open_and_idml-export.html

if that fails you will either have to bite the bullet and pay (and Markzware is the best bet), submit to Adobe and wait, possibly forever, to see if they can recover it, or rebuild from scratch. You'll have to weigh the relative costs to decide.

[dublove]

Hi @Peter Spier 

Thank you so much.
You  are so great.

An old hunter can't just have a shotgun.
2 guns, 2 knives, and fire, and trauma medicine.

[Peter Spier]

And not to kick a man when he's down, but you've been on this forum for some years now so I'm sure you must have seen more than one of us lecture on the importance of keeping backup copies of work in progress. Nobody seems to believe it until something like this happens.

[dublove]

Keep it on hand.

[Peter Spier]

For the record, I also learned the backup lesson the hard way, but about 30 years ago.

Haven't lost more than a few hours time since.