My data has disappeared completely. Some files in folder marked as .pdf, but adobe can't open them

Help
1

Obsidian has updated and nearly my files have disappeared. Some remain with a .pdf extension but won’t open with Adobe.

Things I have tried

Checking for updates, tried file recovery, but no sign of anything. Searched my whole PC for .md files, but none to be found.

2

I’m sorry to read about all this :grimacing: but I think adding some more context could be helpful :innocent: :

  • Where is your vault normally located ?
  • Do you sync it across devices ?
    • If yes, how ? Through which method/service ?
  • What OS are your using on your PC ?
  • What’s your Obsidian’s version ?
3

Windows 11. The vault is stored in my onedrive - there are lots of notes in there, but all with the extension .pdf and not openable. I only use the product on one device. The version which opened today (without me having asked it to install) is whatever the latest version is - I can’t see any information about that. I do not know what the previous version was numbered.

4

The version I now have is 1.8.10.

5

I’m sadly in a Mac/iCloud environment so I don’t now how to help you here :confused: …
I can only hope some Windows/OneDrive expert out here will chime in :crossed_fingers: .

Something I find a bit strange though are the .pdf you can’t seem to be able to open :thinking: …
Is any of the .pdf files looking like it should actually be a .md note ?
I mean, by title :sweat_smile: … as you can’t apparently open them.

Are these files potentially titled something like: file.md.pdf ?
Could it be possible that you renamed your .md notes and/or accidentally convert them into .pdf files (by adding a .pdf extension to their names) ?

6

Thanks for those thoughts. The ,pdf files all have the acrobat symbol and the ,pdf extension and are all called things like 25-03-21 note, just as the .md files presumably were.

7

You might have “Files on demand” enabled in OneDrive. OneDrive uploads the files to its server and removes them from your computer. Make sure that the vault and all files in it have a solid green check mark icon next to them.

2 Likes
8

Thank you. Well, that is very helpful, as the files now have reappeared with the .md extension, but the Obsidian programme still won’t open them. If I try to open from the .md file, it asks which app I want to use, but can’t then find Obsidian in the app list. Do you have any further thoughts?

9

That’s not how you open notes with Obsidian.

Obsidian works on a vault, not on individual files. So you would need to open Obsidian, and then “Open folder as vault” from Obsidian. (The folder with all your notes, and the hidden .obsidian settings folder.)

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10

Obsidian doesn’t open individual files. You can only open an entire folder as a “vault”.

You could experiment with a simple local test vault to explore Obsidian’s file management.