Invalid PDF Format Error Occurs? How to Fix "Invalid PDF Format" in 5 Ways

Have you ever encountered the "invalid PDF format" error when opening and editing your PDF file? This error will prevent you from opening the problematic PDF files or, worse, result in losing the PDF file data forever. This invalid format on a PDF file causes the system to send an error report, such as:

• Cannot display PDF (filename.pdf is of invalid format)
• Error: Invalid or corrupted PDF file.
• Your PDF file is invalid or corrupted. Select a valid PDF file.

Once you receive the above error message, don't panic; you still have a good chance to recover your PDF data. In this post, we will introduce effective fixes to solve the "invalid PDF format" error to ensure you will never lose essential data on the PDF file!

Fix 1. Use Document Repair Tool to Fix Invalid PDF Format

Using a PDF repair tool to repair corrupted PDF files is the most effective and powerful way to fix the "invalid PDF format" error. If your PDF files are very important and you do not have time to try more methods, then choose a repair tool that allows you to maximize the preservation of your files in the shortest possible time.

EaseUS Fixo Document Repair would be a great choice to repair invalid format PDF files. EaseUS Fixo document repair tool also helps when you need to repair corrupted Word documents, damaged Excel files, PowerPoint files, etc.

Download this professional file repair tool on your computer and follow the instructions to repair your PDF files!

✨Step 1.  Download, install, and launch EaseUS Fixo Document Repair

You can download this repair tool with the download button we gave you or other official ways. After the installation, you can double-click the Fixo icon to launch it. Click "File Repair" > "Add Files" to select and repair damaged Word, Excel, PDF, and other documents.

✨Step 2. Repair corrupted documents now

After adding the documents, you can click "Repair" to fix a document specifically or select "Repair All" to repair the whole files in the list altogether.

✨Step 3. Preview and save repaired documents

Now, the files are ready to be saved. You can also click the eye icon to preview the documents. After clicking "Save All", select "View Repaired" in the pop-up window to locate these repaired files.

Fix 2. Change the Invalid Format PDF File Extension

Changing the file extension of the invalid PDF file can sometimes help resolve the "PDF won't open" error due to invalid format or other causes. Simply put, this method allows you to rename the file to another format, such as a Word document, and then through the "Save As" option, re-saved as a PDF file. Here are the steps to change the file extension of the invalid PDF file:

Step 1. Right-click on the PDF file that can't open, and select "Rename". Or you can click the file name of the PDF file to change its name.

Step 2. Type .docx to change the PDF file to a Word document. Open the Word document to check the content.

Step 3. Choose the "Save as" option and type .pdf to change the file extension.

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Fix 3. Use Adobe Reader to Fix Invalid PDF Format

Sometimes, a damaged PDF reader may be the reason you can't open PDF files. In this case, you should check and repair the Adobe Reader and then try to open and read the PDF file again. First, check the update:

• Launch Adobe Reader, and go to "Help > Check for Updates".
• If there is a new update, go ahead and install the latest version.

Then, follow the steps below to repair Adobe Reader:

Step 1. Open the Adobe Reader and go to "Help > Repair Adobe Reader Installation".

You may also try to uninstall and reinstall Adobe Reader to repair PDF. But if Adobe Reader can't open your PDF files after updating to the newest version, consider downloading this PDF repair software to help you open and repair damaged PDF files quickly and safely!

Fix 4. Repair the Invalid Format PDF File Online

Online PDF fixers can quickly solve PDF corruption without downloading and installing software on the computer and will not take up storage space on the disks. We will introduce detailed information about how to repair PDF files online for free!

We recommend a free PDF repair online tool, EaseUS Online Document Repair, with its advanced AI-powered repair technology. You can easily fix document corruption on this free website.

Step 1. Open the official website and drag your corrupt document here. You can also click "Upload Document" and find the location where your Word, PowerPoint, Excel or PDF files are stored.

Step 2. Before the repair process, you need to enter your email address to receive the education code you will use in step 4. Now, click "Strat Repairing" to launch the process. Wait patiently for the process to end. You can leave the site during the repair but remember not to close it.

Step 3. EaseUS will send you the extraction code when the repair is finished. Go back to the page, type your code, and click "OK" to save your file.

Fix 5. Restore to the Previous File Version to Perform PDF Repair

If you don't want to download Windows corrupt file repair software and have a backup of your PDF files, you can repair PDF files to their previous version and then get them repaired and open corrupted PDF files. You can also restore the previous PDF file version when it is intact if you run Windows 10 or later. Follow the steps here:

Step 1. Right-click the damaged PDF file and choose "Restore previous versions" from the drop-down menu.

Step 2. Find the file version you want to restore and select it. Click "Restore > OK".

Invalid PDF Format FAQs

Here are questions people frequently ask when the "invalid PDF format" error occurs:

1. Why is my PDF file not valid?

There can be many reasons why you are facing an invalid PDF format error: the PDF file is corrupted due to an incomplete download or transfer, the Adobe Reader is damaged, etc.

2. How to fix an invalid PDF?

Here are 5 effective ways to fix an invalid PDF format:

1. Fix 1. Use document repair tool to fix invalid PDF format: download and install EaseUS Fixo Document Repair to repair your corrupted or damaged PDF file that shows an invalid format;
2. Fix 2. Change the invalid format PDF file extension: change the PDF file extension from ".pdf" to ".docx" to open it in the Word app, and save the document as a PDF file to make it readable;
3. Fix 3. Use Adobe Reader to fix invalid PDF format: check and repair the Adobe Reader and then try to open and read the PDF file again;
4. Fix 4. Repair the invalid format PDF file online: go to the EaseUS online document repair website, upload your corrupted PDF files, and click "Repair" to fix the invalid PDF format error;
5. Fix 5. Restore to the previous file version to perform PDF repair: restoring the PDF file to its previous version is one of the effective methods when the PDF file shows an invalid format error.

The Bottom Line

If your PDF file can't open and receive a system message like "Cannot display PDF (filename.pdf is of invalid format)", don't worry! EaseUS Fixo Document Repair can help you repair corrupted PDF files no matter why they are damaged. This powerful document repair tool can help users without any file repair experience fix their damaged files quickly and safely!

Apart from using the document repair tool, you can repair the PDF file with an invalid format error by changing its file extension, checking Adobe Reader, restoring its previous version, and using the EaseUS online repair page.