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How to Fix "An Incorrect Structure Was Found in the PDF" Error? 100% Fixed

I have a colleague that has Adobe Acrobat 2020. He has a PDF open with many pages in it. He is trying to drag and drop some pages from that file to a folder in file explorer. Some of the pages drop eprfectly fine. Other pages will give the "an incorrect structure was found" error. Anybody know of a fix for this??

–from Adobe Community

Seeing the message "An incorrect structure was found in the PDF" can be frustrating. It usually means that something in the file's structure is not right.

Many users face this problem, just like the person from the Adobe Community. In this article, we will explore how to fix this error. We will cover easy steps that anyone can follow.

We'll also introduce UPDF, a tool that can help you avoid this issue. Keep reading to learn how to solve this problem and keep your PDFs working smoothly.

Don’t forget to download UPDF to make handling PDFs easier.

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Let's dive in!

Part 1. How to Fix “An Incorrect Structure Was Found in the PDF File” in Adobe?

In this section, we are going to explore some of the common ways to fix "An incorrect structure was found in the PDF file." You can go through them one by one and follow what you think would work for you.

Fix 1. Use Adobe Alternative to Finish Your Urgent Task

If you have an urgent task to organize pages, extract pages, or edit your PDF, consider using UPDF. This tool’s organize pages features are more powerful than other tools. Here’s why you should choose UPDF:

  • Insert Pages: You can insert pages from a file, clipboard, blank page, or interleaving insertion.
  • Extract Pages: Extract pages to one file or multiple files and delete pages after extracting.
  • Split PDF: Split your PDF by page count, file size, top-level bookmarks, or custom page range.
  • Manage Pages: Rotate, delete, move, duplicate, reverse order, and more.

UPDF is also much cheaper compared to Adobe Acrobat and other tools. It supports one license on all platforms, making it a cost-effective solution. Plus, UPDF’s free trial allows you to test all features with no time limit.

Steps to Move/Extract/Replace the Pages Using UPDF

First, download and install the UPDF tool on your PC/laptop. Then, follow the instructions given below:

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Step 1: Launch the UPDF software on your PC/laptop. Click "Open File" to open the PDF. You can also drag and drop it here.

Step 2: Once your PDF file is opened, click "Organize Pages" on the left side menu.

Step 3: You will see all of your PDF pages with their page number. Select options from the above menu to make any changes. Here is how:

  • If you want to move the page, select it and drag it to the position where you want to place it.
  • If you want to extract the page, click "Extract" on the top menu. A window will appear on the right side. Click "Extract," and your PDF page will be extracted and saved as a separate PDF file.
  • If you want to replace the page with any other page. Click the "Replace" option on the top menu and select the file with the pages that you want to use to replace the ones in the orginal file. Click on the “Open”, then, Choose what pages you want to replace in orginal file and what pages you to use to insert to replace them from the upload file.

Ready to experience the benefits of UPDF? Download it now and handle your PDFs with ease. For a closer look at how UPDF works, watch the below video.

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Fix 2. Delete Accessibility Tags

Sometimes, deleting accessibility tags can fix the "An incorrect structure was found in the PDF" error. These tags are supposed to help disabled people, but they can be troublesome. You can follow the steps given below to delete them:

Step 1: Open your PDF in Adobe Acrobat. Then, go to the "View" menu at the top.

Step 2: Select "Show/Hide" from the dropdown menu. Then click on "Navigation Panes" and select "Tags."

Step 3: In the Tags pane, right-click on the top tag (it will be called "Tags" or "Tagged PDF"). Then, select "Delete Tag" from the context menu.

After these steps, save your PDF. This should remove the accessibility tags and fix the structure error. If you keep having issues, consider using UPDF to manage your PDFs.

Also Read: How to Create a Tagged PDF Easily? (Step by Step)

Fix 3. Print to PDF

Printing your PDF to a new PDF file can sometimes resolve the "An incorrect structure was found in the PDF" error. This method creates a fresh copy of the document, which can fix structural issues. You can follow the steps given below:

Step 1: Open your PDF in Adobe Acrobat. Then, click the "File" or "Menu" button at the top. Select "Print" from the dropdown menu.

Step 2: In the Print window, select the "Microsoft Print to PDF" option right next to the printer and click "Print."

Step 3: You will see a new window asking where to save the new PDF. Select a location and name for your file, then click "Save."

Once saved, open the new PDF. You can now organize the pages without encountering the error.

Fix 4. Split the Pages and Combine

Sometimes, the "An incorrect structure was found in the PDF" error occurs because the problem might be with the whole PDF file. In that case, we can split the PDF into smaller parts and combine them again. It may fix the issue.

Here is how you can split and combine the PDF:

Step 1: Open your PDF in Adobe Acrobat. Then, click "Tools" at the top and select "Organize Pages" from the list.

Step 2: Select the page you want to split. Click "Split" on the above menu.

Step 3: Choose how you want to split the PDF (by number of pages, file size, etc.).

Step 3: Click "Output Options" to choose where to save the new files and click "Ok."

Combine the split PDFs

Step 1: Go to the "Tools" tab again. Select "Combine Files."

Step 2: Click "Add Files" and select the split PDFs you saved.

Step 3: Click "Combine" to merge them into a single PDF.

Now, open the combined PDF. You won't see the "An incorrect structure was found in the PDF" error.

Fix 5. Convert PDF to Other Formats and Convert Back

Converting your PDF to another format and then converting it back can sometimes resolve the "An incorrect structure was found in the PDF" error. This method refreshes the file structure. You can follow the instructions given below to do that:

Step 1: Open your PDF in Adobe Acrobat. Click the "Tools" menu at the top.

Step 2: Select "Export PDF" and choose a different format like Word or Excel.

Step 3: Save the file in the new format.

Convert the file back to PDF

Step 1: Open the newly saved Word or Excel file and Go to the "File" menu again.

Step 2: Select "Save As" and choose PDF as the file format. Save the file as a PDF.

Open the new PDF. You should now be able to work with it without encountering the structure error.

Conclusion

Dealing with "An incorrect structure was found in the PDF" error can be frustrating, but these fixes can help. However, for a more hassle-free and cost-effective solution, consider UPDF. With its advanced features and user-friendly design, UPDF makes managing PDFs simple. Download UPDF today and handle your PDFs with ease.

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