"The (null) theme that this document uses is missing." This makes me crazy!

Maybe a third of my .rw files won’t open, and instead gives that message, “The (null) theme that this document uses is missing. If you open this project, RapidWeaver will apply the Multi Regen theme. Are you sure you still want to open this project?” If I select the button “Apply Theme & Open”, RW tries, but the “Loading Freewing 2018.rw…” notice/progressbar window explodes way too fast even to read. I had to slo-mo video it to even read it. I have screenshots, but don’t see where to upload them. Also, I can upload one of the .rw files that are behaving like this, if that would help.

This topic has been discussed many times. Just type something like “The (null) theme that this document uses is missing” in the search area…

Thanks for inputting. This is actually the first thing I did. I saw much speculation about the causes of this (some say Dropbox can contribute, etc., etc.). But what I am looking for is a way to actually fix the .rw files that now will not open. I’ve moved all my RW files onto my local drive. I’ve reinstalled any missing themes (how did they disappear in the first place?). Many of the installations say I am reinstalling the same version of the theme as already exists in RW. And yet the theme(s) may not be visible in the Themes tray. I have used RW for years and been very happy. But this wholesale destruction of my original RW files is horrendous.

You have the symptom that RW tells you a theme is missing. But that isn’t the cause of the problem, the message is misleading. The original cause is a corrupt file (at least in all my cases this was the cause).

I was able to solve it with following actions. This might not be a solution in your case.

  • right click on the project file in finder → show content
  • inside the file, there was another (the original) project file
  • moving this original out of the error one and using that one further on solved my problems
2 Likes

Thanks, instacks, an elegant solution, and I was excited to try it. But it didn’t work for me. The container contents of my diseased .rw files seem essentially identical to the contents of my still-working .rw files. Thanks, though. I’m open to more suggestions from the RW community.

Also, what is the “missing .plist” I keep seeing referenced? When I reveal the package contents of the .rw file, I see that the root folder, and each individual page folder, contains a file named “Contents.plist”. But this is also true of the supposed missing-themes .rw files.

If you like, share with me your project file as zipped archive in a PM, and I will have a look.

I assume you mean for me to reply to this email with the archive. See attached, containing two separate .rw files. “EIL2016.rw” seems to work okay, although it got stripped of all resources/art, which I can easily replace. But “EIL2016_TEST2.rw” will not agree to open at all. They both look pretty similar inside their containers. Each is about 2.5MB. Maybe three-quarters of my .rw files are refusing to open at all, instead displaying that “Project Theme is Missing” notice. Clicking “Apply Theme & Open” does nothing, and the file still won’t open after clicking that button.

By contrast, before damage these .rw files range from 20 to 60 MB, with their graphics and Resources folder intact. Thanks in advance for looking.

– Hugh

So I sent you two files, both damaged and stripped of Resources and graphics. Thanks in advance. One sort of opens, and can presumably be replenished with Resources/graphics. The other a complete “(null) theme” non-opener. To see what these should look like, go to http://www.exportsinternational.net .

You are not able to reply by email with attachments in this forum.

Right, so I hit “Reply” to the email from you that showed up in my Apple mail app. This is what I meant by “So I sent you two files…”. Did you receive my email?

Hi Jannis/instacks –
Did you receive the damaged .rw files you requested? Please let me know either way.
– Hugh

No, because you are not able to send attachments via email reply to this forum. I have send you some days ago a PM in this forum.

This topic was automatically closed 30 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.