Desksera
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Repair PDF

Fix a PDF that will not open or shows an error: the tool explains what is broken, rebuilds the file and recovers every page it can. The file stays on your device.

Updated by Khokhar Sab

How do I repair a damaged PDF?

Press Choose a damaged PDF and read the problems the tool finds. Press Repair: it rebuilds the file structure, tries a deeper recovery if needed, and checks that the result opens. Download the repaired copy. The summary says which method worked and how many pages were recovered.

  1. Press Choose a damaged PDF.
  2. Read the list of problems found.
  3. Press Repair, then Download the repaired copy.

What can make a PDF damaged?

Often the file was cut off: a download, email attachment or sync stopped early, so the end of the file, which holds the table of where everything is, is missing. Other causes are a wrong offset after careless editing, extra bytes added before the file starts, or a disk error inside the data.

How well does the repair work?

It depends on what is missing. A broken table of objects is fully fixable, because everything else is still there. A cut-off file keeps the pages that arrived. This table shows our test files, damaged on purpose, repaired with the tool.

DamagePages recoveredMethod that worked
startxref pointing to the wrong place2 of 2, with textRebuild of the file structure
Last 20% of the file cut off2 of 2, with text (the picture stored at the end was lost)Rebuild of the file structure
24 bytes of a web page before the %PDF header2 of 2, with textRebuild of the file structure

Measured on 2026-10-12 in Chrome 152 on an i5-8350U laptop, on a 2-page report.

Limits and fixes

  • Missing data cannot be made up: if part of a page never arrived, that part stays missing. Download the file again if you can.
  • Password-protected files are usually not damaged: apps that cannot ask for the password show them as broken. Remove the password with Unlock PDF, then repair the unlocked copy if it still does not open.
  • Files that are not PDFs (a web error page saved with a .pdf name, for example) cannot be repaired into a PDF.

Frequently asked questions

Is it free?

Yes, with no sign-up or limits.

Is my file uploaded?

No. It is checked and repaired in your browser.

Will the repaired file keep its text?

Yes, when the structure can be rebuilt. Only the last-resort method saves pages as pictures, and the summary says when that happened.

The file says "PDF" but nothing is found. Why?

It may not be a PDF at all, such as an error page saved by a browser. Open it in a text editor: a real PDF starts with %PDF.

Can I compress the repaired file?

Yes, with Compress PDF.

How this tool was built and tested