Feed
 

Opening Pages

Avatar John Nicholas
I am using Pages 5.5.3.

I have a diminishing number of various Clarisworks document. If I wish to open these they open OK with Pages ( or Numbers) and then can be resaved as a Pages version, then ditching the superseded version.

I have other Pages documents created say version 4 Pages, and I get prompted to upgrade these to the new format.

I only mention these by way of background.


My query arises with brand new documents created using 5.5.3. When I double click to open these I am told that they cannot be opened because the "index.xml file is missing". Right clicking and selecting 5.5.3 as my choice of opener works ok. Why do they not open immediately without right clicking ?

Re: Opening Pages

Avatar Tony Still
Sounds like your system is trying to open the document using the previous version of Pages (I see the same error here when I try that). Apple, in my opinion, made rather a mess of the Pages upgrade process and this may be the reason for what you're seeing.

You should be able to fix it by telling Mac OS to use the latest version:
* In the Finder, find one of your new, troublesome documents (created in 5.5.3)
* Single click it and then choose Get Info (File menu)
* Go to the 'Open with:' section
* Use the pull-down to choose Pages 5.5.3
* Click the 'Change All' button just below the pull-down.

This should be a permanent fix - best of luck.

Re: Opening Pages

Avatar John Nicholas
Sorry Tony that doesn't work. I've tried several.


Firstly on the get info step the default opener already shows 5.5.3 and the Change All button is greyed out.


Changing the opener to Version 4 reveals the Change All button. But rather than risk doing this I then rechanged the opener to 5.5.3 and then pressed the Change All button which had then remained revealed.

Regretfully the same missing index.xml message appeared. I still hesitate to revert all similar documents to Version 4 and then rechange them all to 5.5.3 for fear of what might occur in the process. The present minor niggle might turn into a catastrophe.

Re: Opening Pages

Avatar Tony Still
Bah!

I presume that you don't have the previous Pages running? Or have run it during your testing?

Re: Opening Pages

Avatar John Nicholas
No, not that I can see.


In the Applications shown in Finder there is Pages 5.5.3. Also there is iWork 09 which contains Pages 4.3 but I do not see this open or running.

What confuses me is that some Pages 5.5.3 documents open OK but these may be upgraded older versions. I can only decide on this if I trawl right through many many documents to see if there is a pattern or logic.

The trouble seems to be with the much newer documents.

Re: Opening Pages

Avatar Tony Still
I have the same set-up of running both versions and have had some similar problems. That led me to believe they had messed with document/application association and broken it but the simple case should still work OK. My system performs as expected now as long as I don't swap Pages versions too frequently...

I presume you are saving the documents as a simple save from 5.5.3, not Exporting to Pages 09. The xml file missing error is almost certainly Pages 4.3 trying to open the file. You could try changing the file's application to be Pages 4.3, try to open it and then change it back. I fear it's some trick like that that's needed :-(

Re: Opening Pages

Avatar John Nicholas
Still no joy Tony.

Changed one brand new Pages document back to Pages 4.3. All attempts to open it result in the "missing index.xml" message but also then even when right clicking. Closing Pages 5.5.3 and opening and running Pages 4.3 still gives same message.

As you say, seems to be a glitch in Pages 5.5.3. But why does it happen less than 100% of the time ? (Exporting to Pages '09 alters formatting as I expect you would tell me, but even that is a lengthier process than just right click and select.)

I see that the various forums since 5.5 came out have queries about this but I have yet to find a definitive answer / solution and nothing of recent date.

In the mean time I suppose that in view of the situation in the Middle East or in Nepal, my moan about just having to right click instead of double click is hardly worth consideration.
 
Feed