I have an "Unable to display document" message. Now what?

Mac

The document couldn't be accessed message is caused by a change in macOS 12.3 affecting Dropbox and OneDrive file storage.

In the release notes for the update, Apple confirmed that it has deprecated the kernel extensions used by Dropbox and OneDrive, and notes that both cloud storage services have replacements for the functionality in beta.

Here's what you need to do.

Dropbox Users

Close the file, then wait a few seconds, and re-open the file again. In most cases, the file reappears.

From the Dropbox app, open the File window and navigate to your file or folder.

Right click (a.k.a. two-finger click) on your file, and select Make available offline.



The cloud icon will have changed to a green checkmark.



Close and re-open Scriptation. The file should appear.

OneDrive Users

Go to the OneDrive App, and click View Online.

Download the file, and move it from the Downloads folder into your OneDrive folder.

Right click (a.k.a. two-finger click) on your file, and select Always keep on this device.

Close and re-open Scriptation. The file should appear.

iPad and iPhone

The file you're trying to access is either not a PDF file or might be corrupted message is caused by a bug in iOS 14.4 which affects the device's file system. It also appears when trying to open a non-downloaded iCloud file when the device is not connected to the internet.

We have recently updated Scriptation to create a workaround for this compatibility issue.

Here's what you need to do.

Close all tabs in Scriptation, and update to Scriptation 4.0.4+ in the App Store. The update alone may fix the issue.

If the message continues: Close the file, then wait a few seconds, and re-open the file again. In most cases, the file reappears.

Note for iCloud Users: Even with Scriptation 4.0.4+ there is an iCloud bug that will appear if you are working across your Mac, and iPad/iPhone. Close the document, wait a few seconds, and re-open the file again.

Make a local copy of your file, and rename it without spaces or special characters.

Import a clean PDF of the file that is displaying the error message, and transfer your notes from the "corrupt" file into the new file.

If your file is saved locally (On my iPad / iPhone), and you have performed all of the above steps please reach out to support through the email button below.

Best Practices for the Future

Use Dropbox cloud storage: Dropbox allows for version controlled saving, and creates a new restorable version after each save instance. Should your PDF file become unable to open, it's easy to restore to an earlier version from within Dropbox's web portal.

NOTE: iCloud does NOT offer version controlled saving.

Turn on Automatic App Updates and always have the most up-to-date version of Scriptation.

What's Next

How to sync files across devices with Cloud Storage
Are my files saved automatically?
How often do files upload / sync to cloud?

Updated on: 02/10/2024