Trouble opening Pages documents

[Patsy Cockrum]

I’m using Pages 8.1 on an iMac running 10.13.6. Quite often one pages document or another on my desktop refuses to open. They're current, new documents. When I click on it, it responds (you can tell that you clicked on it), but it doesn't open. No error message or anything. Nothing. I go back later and try to open it and it may or may not open. If I need to see it now, which is usually the case, I've found that I can put it into my documents folder and it will open right up. Anybody have any ideas on why this is happening or how to fix the problem? Thanks!

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello,

I have seen this happen before if you have a Pages window minimized or moved to a side of the screen where you may only see a sliver of the window.

-How are you opening them...by double-clicking the file or using the File > Open command in Pages?
-Do you happen to be signed into iCloud and are you using iCloud Drive with the option checked to store Desktop & Documents Folders in iCloud. If so, is Optimize Mac Storage checked as well?
-Do the icons for the Pages documents have a little cloud with down arrow icon to the right of the name of the file?

C

 

[Patsy Cockrum]

If the document won't open, then it still won't open when I've made that sure no other Pages document is open or minimized. When I open a document, I always do it by double-clicking the icon. When this problem started, though, I also tried the other way, which hasn't worked either. I am totally IGNORANT when it comes to iCloud. I'm not interested in learning about it, that's why I'm ignorant on the subject. All I know is (I THINK I know) that my photos are backed up to it and I'm not sure what else. The icons for the documents that I'm having trouble opening don't have the cloud/arrow that you mentioned. I don't know WHY they sometimes will open perfectly and some times WILL NOT OPEN, yet I can move them into my documents and they will open EVERY TIME.

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hi,

If you move them to the Documents folder and they open, then it sounds like it may be some form of permissions issue with files on the Desktop.

Do the icons look like this:

If you perform a Get Info, are the settings similar to this:

C

 

[Patsy Cockrum]

On the "Get Info" tab, the icon looks like that. On the desktop, the unopened document's icon looks like the actual document, in that you see the text, etc., that it's made up of, it's just teeny tiny. And yes, my "Get Info" tab is about the same as yours.

 

[Cory Cooper]

OK, thanks.

Let's try something:
-Click once on one of the Pages documents on the Desktop to select it
-Press the Space bar and see if it opens in Quick Look mode like below:

See if that works, and if you can see the contents of the Pages document and the Open with Pages button.

C

 

[Patsy Cockrum]

I never knew about this (and a zillion other things this computer can do). Yes, I was able to get it open in the Quick Look mode and I saw the Open with Pages button. But the button didn't work. Same as when I click directly on the document. It "moves" but doesn't open or give any kind of error message.

 

[Cory Cooper]

OK, thanks.

Another thing to try - what happens if you make a new folder on the Desktop, then move a couple of the Pages files into it, and see they open then?

Sorry for the ongoing inconvenience...we'll get there eventually. This isn't an issue I am familiar with, that the things we already discussed haven't fixed.

C

 

[Patsy Cockrum]

I made a new folder on the desktop and moved two of the offending documents into it and they opened right up. Oh, and I DID notice, when I clicked on Get Info, that the document is stored on iCloud Drive - Desktop. But so are (I guess) all my documents and many (most?) of them open fine. I may just have to live with this. At least I know how to open them. It's just so frustrating to have such a goofy problem that nobody seems to have heard of.

 

[Cory Cooper]

It seems you are using iCloud Drive to sync you Dektop and Documents folder, and that may be contributing to the issue.

Add your Desktop and Documents files to iCloud Drive

It shouldn't affect it, but it seems that it may be. You may want to review the Turn off Desktop and Documents section in the link above, as that may resolve the issue.

As always, make sure you have a current Time Machine or other backup before proceeding.

C

 

[Patsy Cockrum]

I am such a big, fat BABY!!!! I'm so AFRAID I'm gonna delete something or somehow screw something up, even though I do have a Time Machine backup (I hope). I'm scared of iCloud (the unknown!). I think, since I CAN open documents eventually, I'm just gonna play it safe and leave as is. I really do want to blame iCloud, though. All I ever really wanted was not to lose my PHOTOS! Thank you so much. I really appreciate all your time and suggestions.

 

[Cory Cooper]

No worries...I completely understand.

Let us know if you need anything else.

Stay healthy and safe.

C

 

[Patsy Cockrum]

Thanks and you, too!