Incorrect File Structure was found 1

[Mboatwr]

Trying to split a large pdf file and when we try to split it we get " an incorrect file structure was found". Nothing else and it won't allow the split or extract to occur. The file was last save in June 2009.

Is this a version conflict? Earlier version structure that is not compatible?

Currently using Adobe Acrobat Standard to view and modify pdf files. Have read something about Preflight and repairing corrupted files? But I am not sure that the file is corrupt. I can view it.

 

[FredWagner]

How are you trying to split the file? My method would be open the whole file, then block a segment (say pages 1-100), then do a Document, Extract Pages, and check the Delete pages box. Save the extracted pages with a new filename, close that file, back in the original file, save it with the reduced page count (different filename if you like -I add an underscore to the end of the filename prefix). Now repeat the procedure with the reduced original file that you just saved - block a group of pages, document, Extract pages, check the delete box, etc.
does this work for you ? If not, what happens ?

Fred Wagner

 

[Mboatwr]

Fred,

We are trying to limit pdf document sizes. So we are identifying all documents that have previously been scanned and saved that are larger than 500,000KB. Then split the documents down to manageable sizes.

So, we open the document, [Click] Document, [Click]Split document and either select to specify by number of pages or file size to split the original document into.

However, yesterday we could not even extract pages like you described.

Thanks for your input.

 

[FredWagner]

Here's an alternate solution - If you can open the large file in Acrobat - do a Save As, and save it to an image format - I prefer JPEG2000, from experience compressing files over 500MB. once the Save As is complete, you'll have a JPF file for each page of the original document.
then use the Create Document from Multiple Files option, and pick the JPF's that you want to put into the new file.
With the JPF as the intermediate file type, even if you create a new PDF from all of them at once, you'll reduce the size of the resulting PDF by a factor between four and ten, depending on whether the images were predominantly graphics (engineering drawings) or text.
This process does take some time - I was reducing the file sizes of our engineering archives - they'd sent truckloads out to be scanned - and developed the technique I described. I used a 'back room' PC - one dedicated to the task, because the process could take 20 minutes to an hour depending on the file being processed.
Of course you can split the file at the same time you're reprocessing it - just pick a fraction of the JPF's to creat a new PDF, then do some more, etc. But you may get all the compression you need without splitting - I did.
Let me know if this works for you.

Fred Wagner

 

[FredWagner]

Adding to my last post - I tried using plain JPEG (.jpg) files as the intermediate format, but they tended to lose their vertical orientation when assembled into the second PDF, requiring tedious review to rotate the cockeyed images back upright. Using JPF avoids that problem completely.
also - if a major part of the file is text - scanned documents rather than drawings - once you've created and saved the second PDf from the JPF's, use the Acrobat Capture Text (OCR) feature, and then save the PDF again, and you'll further reduce the file size by about another 10%.
Compressing the scanned files this way saves disk space, but more importantly, network bandwidth when someone wants to view them, and the TIME of the person opening the file. It made an unuseable archive useable, in our environment.

Fred Wagner

 

[Mboatwr]

Fred,

Thanks A LOT! Will try it this afternoon. Fingers crossed.

 

[Mboatwr]

Fred - tried and it worked. Thanks!

 

[FredWagner]

Glad to hear it. Once you explained your challenge, it sounded exactly like the one I faced over a year ago with documents from our city engineering department. One kink you may run into - if the scanned image is of a large document or engineering drawing - like 3 feet by 5 feet, or 1 foot by 8 feet, the JPEG2000 conversion won't work if you leave the images in Landscape format, but if you rotate it 90 degrees, so the long edge is vertical, it goes through almost every time. Another tip - if the original paper was ragged/jagged on one edge, crop the image to give it a clean edge on the left side, and it slides through the processing nicely.
a Star on my post with the solution would be much appreciated!

Fred Wagner

 

[Mboatwr]

Fred,

Sorry about that, new to the forum. Will do the same for the other one too.

 

[FredWagner]

Thank you! Welcome to the site and forums. The general pattern is you come here in the begining to get advice, and learn enough you go along that after a while you're giving the advice - a 'pay it forward' system. If you click on the UserID links on the postings and replies, you get to see the profile and activity summary of the person posting. It's really neat!

Fred Wagner