[Techtalk] Unreadable(?) pdf files

[Amanda Babcock Furrow]

On Sat, Mar 12, 2016 at 10:00:28PM +0000, David Sumbler wrote:

> However, plan 'B' might work after all!  I have discovered that my
> sister-in-law is using an ancient machine that has a floppy drive.  It
> also has a USB port, so when I visit my brother this coming Wednesday I
> should be able to copy all the .eps files I have (on 19 3-1/2" floppies)
> to a memory stick.
> 
> The .eps files are the files that the .cdr and .pdf files were derived
> from nearly 20 years ago.

If all else fails, there's also examining the pdf files manually.  When
my scanner saved truncated pdf files - with the all-important index at
the end missing - I was able to read the source and discover that the 
incomplete pdf files it was building encapsulated raw image files.  I 
was able to recover the image files by making throwawy copies of the 
incomplete pdfs and then deleting the PDF information from around the 
images in them.

I do not know if your PDF could have directly included the original .eps
files without modifying them, or if it was a more involved process.  I
only mention it as a possibility because I have not had very good luck
with 20-year-old 3.5" floppies in the past.

Good luck!
Amanda