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> Use this file to discover available pages before exploring further.
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# My PDF may have become corrupt. What can I do?

PDF corruption is rare, but it does happen — usually when a script is exported from an unusual writing program, when a protected/time-limited PDF expires, or when a sync error truncates the file. Below are the common signs, a quick test to confirm corruption, and the steps to recover your work.

##### Signs your PDF may be corrupt

* Pages that previously had content (script text or annotations) are now blank.
* Annotations you'd saved have disappeared throughout the document.
* In the [Page Manager](https://help.scriptation.com/en/article/what-is-the-page-manager-k7edhm/), some pages show an **Ø** symbol.
* Opening the file shows an [Unable to Display Document](https://help.scriptation.com/en/article/unable-to-display-document-message-heres-how-to-recover-your-file-fzp2nb/) message.
* When you try to [share the file](https://help.scriptation.com/en/article/how-can-i-share-my-notes-181353n/), the file size shows as 0kb.
* Blocks of text appear as garbled symbols or gibberish after [auto-highlighting characters](https://help.scriptation.com/en/article/what-is-auto-highlighting-12pkun1/) or [transferring pages](https://help.scriptation.com/en/article/how-do-i-transfer-my-notes-1khpcd8/) from another script.

|| 📝 NOTE: Was your PDF distributed with a time limit? Protected scripts (often from Scenechronize, Showbiz, or studio portals) frequently break after their access window expires — that's not Scriptation, that's the file expiring.

##### Quick test: is the text actually corrupt?

If the symptom is **garbled or gibberish text**, there's a fast diagnostic you can run:

1. Select a block of suspect text from the PDF.
2. Paste it into a Scriptation text annotation or sticky note.
3. **If the pasted text is garbled**, the source PDF is corrupted (often a bad PDF export from the writing program).
4. **If the pasted text is correct**, the on-page text is fine — the issue is elsewhere (likely a display or Layer issue).

##### How to recover

Work through these in order.

1. **Close all tabs in Scriptation and update the app** from the App Store. Some "corruption" symptoms turn out to be old-build bugs that an update fixes.
2. **Close the file, wait a few seconds, and reopen it.** This clears transient sync states.
3. **Make a local copy** and rename it without spaces or special characters. See [How to move or copy multiple files and folders](https://help.scriptation.com/en/article/how-to-move-or-copy-multiple-files-and-folders-1j4yq8t/).
4. **Re-import a clean copy from the source.** Ask whoever sent you the script for a fresh PDF, or re-export the file from the program in which it was written. Then [import the clean PDF](https://help.scriptation.com/en/article/importing-scripts-into-scriptation-k34r8d/) into Scriptation and [transfer your notes](https://help.scriptation.com/en/article/how-do-i-transfer-my-notes-1khpcd8/) from the corrupted file onto it.
5. **Restore from your cloud provider's version history.** If your file is on Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive, log in to their web portal and restore a pre-corruption version. See [How to restore an earlier version of your file with Dropbox](https://help.scriptation.com/en/article/how-to-restore-an-earlier-version-of-your-file-with-dropbox-1171koy/) (same pattern for Google Drive and OneDrive).
6. **Check iCloud Drive's Recently Deleted folder.** iCloud Drive doesn't keep file version history, but a conflicted or replaced copy may still be in its Recently Deleted folder (30-day window). See [I accidentally deleted my script. How do I recover it?](https://help.scriptation.com/en/article/i-accidentally-deleted-my-script-how-do-i-recover-it-tw4inu/) for the path.

|| ✋ Caution: If your file was stored On My iPad / iPhone (not in cloud), and steps 1–4 don't help, there's no version history to fall back on. Cloud storage with version history (Dropbox / Google Drive / OneDrive) is the only reliable insurance.

##### Still stuck?

If you've worked through every step and your file is still corrupted, use the **Send us an email** button at the bottom of this page. If you can, **attach the original PDF** so we can take a look. Please also include:

* Your **device, OS version, and Scriptation version** (see [Current version and system requirements](https://help.scriptation.com/en/article/current-version-and-system-requirements-1yryfi7/));
* Where the file is **stored** (On My iPad, iCloud, Dropbox, etc.);
* The **page numbers and paragraphs** you know are problematic, so we can find them quickly;
* Whether the file came from a **time-limited or protected source** (e.g. Scenechronize, a studio portal).

### Best practices going forward

* Use **Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive** rather than iCloud or On My iPad. All three keep version history, so a corrupt file can be rolled back to a clean earlier version.
* Turn on [Automatic App Updates](https://help.scriptation.com/en/article/current-version-and-system-requirements-1yryfi7/) so PDF-handling bug fixes reach you automatically.

# What's Next

[Unable to Display Document message? Here's how to recover your file.](https://help.scriptation.com/en/article/unable-to-display-document-message-heres-how-to-recover-your-file-fzp2nb/)
[I accidentally deleted my script. How do I recover it?](https://help.scriptation.com/en/article/i-accidentally-deleted-my-script-how-do-i-recover-it-tw4inu/)
[How to restore an earlier version of your file with Dropbox](https://help.scriptation.com/en/article/how-to-restore-an-earlier-version-of-your-file-with-dropbox-1171koy/)