Despite the convenience, PDFs are hard to edit, and sometimes even extracting content from them is a challenge. They can also get corrupted. When they do, you might lose some data, or worse, the entire document. Recovery Toolbox for PDF is a useful utility app that helps you repair a damaged PDF file in case of data corruption.

Why Does PDF Get Corrupted?

Why do PDFs get corrupted? Here are some possible reasons:

A sub-par PDF creator was used to create your PDF files. This is because the built-in converter engine may not resolve the document object, layout, or PDF configuration settings properly. The PDF document may get corrupt if you view them online instead of downloading. The chances of corruption increase with the file size. If you’re attempting to open a PDF from a link, you may encounter errors, and the file may not open. This may be due to missing browser plug-ins or a faulty third-party plugin. When you’re sending PDFs through email, there are chances that some of them may get damaged during transit. To prevent this, we recommend that you zip the files before sending them. A poor internet connection while downloading, hard drive going bad, sudden power outage, errors while conversion or printing, and virus attacks.

What’s So Unique About Recovery Toolbox for PDF?

While there are many online apps and services that help you repair damaged PDF files, Recovery Toolbox for PDF is different. It tries to repair and extract the data from the corrupted document and save it into the new recovered file.

Compatibility: The app is compatible with Windows 98/Me/2000/XP/Vista/7/8 and 10. Or, Windows Server 2003/2008/2012/2016 and above. You can even repair the PDF document online. PDF Contents: They include text, images, multimedia elements, tables, and forms used in the document. Base Structure: They include header, cross-reference table which contains the references to all the objects in the document (XRef), trailer, document catalog (Type, Version, Extension, Pages, Outlines, Threads, and Metadata), and more. PDF Parameters: They include PDF file specification and its size. You can manually specify the default parameters for the document. Metadata: The app will read the font type and try to retrieve them. It also includes embedded PDF metadata like title, author, subject, keywords, copyright information, and more.

PDF Recovery Toolbox Step-By-Step Instructions

The app is intuitive and simple to use. You just need to tweak few settings, check the embedded metadata and the PDF file version. Here are the step-by-step instructions to recover a damaged PDF document.

Step 1

Once you install the Recovery Toolbox for PDF app, launch it. Click the Open button and select your damaged file from the Open File dialog window.

Step 2

The application settings (Tools > Options) let you specify the default file parameters like paper size (A4, Letter, or Custom Size), page orientation, and other specifications like width, height, and units. You need to set these settings manually if the source PDF document does not contain any information.

Step 3

Once you have selected the file, Recovery Toolbox will start analyzing the document.

It reads the document header, detects the offset marking of the internal cross-link tables (XRef), parameters, and other obsolete objects. It tries to extract the page format information from the document and read the internal cross-link tables for data detection. It detects the embedded metadata, font, and tries to extract and save them into the output file. It reads the text stream and hyperlinks and analyzes them in detail. Then it’ll try to extract graphics and other multimedia elements.

Information about any errors is notified during the recovery process. If all the records are correct, you’ll see the “No errors found” message in green, or else it’ll display the number of errors in red.

Step 4

Once the analysis is complete, select the path and type in the file name. By default, Recovery Toolbox will add a _repaired suffix to the file. Click the Open button and choose the destination folder.

Step 5

You’re given the option to save the recovered file in any PDF specification from version 1.0 to 1.7. It is important to remember that with each new PDF specification, many new features were incorporated. Typically any third-party apps follow the latest specification, but they’re always backward compatible.

While Recovery Toolbox will suggest the output PDF file version, click the dropdown menu to select a different specification. If the source file is badly damaged and the app fails to detect the version, then save the file in the current specification (version 1.7). At last, check the Enable compression to compress the file.

Step 6

The final step shows a report on the current recovery session. It includes the date and time of the recovery process, name of the file with source and destination path, number of objects processed and saved, and more.

Recover Data From the PDF

Recovery Toolbox for PDF is a simple app designed for recovering damaged and unrecognized PDF files. The intelligent proprietary core leverage the power of advanced document analysis and fix several logical errors caused during conversion, printing, or reasons beyond your control.

Try out the app and see if it fits your needs. The app is available for a reasonable price of $27 (personal or non-commercial use) or $45 (business use). Or, you can use Recovery Toolbox for PDF online and repair PDF documents for only $10/GB.