What To Do If Your PDF Editor Fails To Function — Ultimate Guide

Did you know that even the most advanced PDF editors have a shelf life? Unless you’re working with legacy documents, chances are great that your PDF editor won’t be able to function for long. 

What do you do in such cases? Well, there are several things you can do to ensure that your document is still accessible. 

Back Up Your Files

This one is a no-brainer, but it’s one of the most important things you can do to ensure that your data is safe and sound. 

While some of these other methods are great for fixing or updating a few files, a proper backup will let you undo and fix anything that might happen to all your data. 

If your computer crashes or you lose your hard drive, you’ll be able to get your data back just as easily.

Use An Online Editor Or Viewer

If you don’t have a PDF editor installed, but you need to open a PDF file, you might be able to use an online editor or viewer. This method works best if you only need to view the file and make minor changes like adding a signature or password. 

Online editors are less likely to work with complex PDFs because they might not have the proper software installed. You’ll want to look for a service that lets you change the file’s metadata, add a password, or insert an image. 

Find An Alternative Program

If you have one of the most popular PDF editors installed and it suddenly stops working, you might want to try installing an alternative. 

This method won’t work with every software, unfortunately. So, if you don’t have access to any of these programs, you’ll have to find a friend who does. 

Make sure you research the program to see if it does what you need it to do before installing it. Also, make sure you back up your system before installing new software. 

After all, you never know what could happen. Ideally, you’ll want to install a PDF editor that has functionality similar to the one that failed—one that lets you edit and create PDFs and preserves your document’s formatting.

Try A Different Format

If all else fails, you might want to try converting your file to another format. If you have a complex PDF with a lot of images and tables, you can try converting your PDF to ePub or Mobi. 

Summing up

Even when the best PDF editors fail to function, the situation can be incredibly frustrating. That’s why it’s so important to be prepared when something like this happens. 

Thankfully, there are several things you can do to ensure that your documents are still accessible. You can use a cloud-based solution to back up your files and data. You can try converting your file to another format or using different software. 

Hopefully, these tips will help you if your PDF editor fails to function.