Cannot open file. Popup message: No diagram *Error on line 1, column 1: Start tag expected, “<” not found.

[Olly89]

[draw-io-triage-bot]

👋 Thank you for opening this issue!

---

Summary: The user is unable to open a draw.io file and receives a "No diagram" error with the XML parsing message "Start tag expected, '<' not found" on line 1, column 1, which indicates the file content is either corrupted, empty, or not in a valid XML/draw.io format. More information is needed about the environment, file source, and file contents to diagnose the root cause.

---

📝 Additional Information Needed

To help us investigate this more effectively, could you please provide:

• Environment: Which platform are you using? (draw.io desktop app, web app at app.diagrams.net, Confluence plugin, VS Code extension, etc.) Also, which browser and OS?
• File source and format: Where is the file stored (local disk, Google Drive, OneDrive, SharePoint)? What is the file extension (.drawio, .drawio.xml, .xml, .drawio.png, .drawio.svg)? Was this file previously working and now fails to open, or is it a new file?
• Steps to reproduce: How did you create the file originally? What exact steps lead to this error? Did you edit the file with another tool or convert it in any way?
• File content inspection: Can you open the .drawio file in a plain text editor (like Notepad or VS Code) and check whether it starts with < (XML content) or something else? The error 'Start tag expected, "<" not found' strongly suggests the file content is corrupted or is not valid XML. Sharing the first few lines (redacting sensitive info) would help diagnose the issue.

We also have some questions:

• Can you open the file in a text editor and share what the first line looks like? The error indicates the file does not contain valid XML, which could mean the file is corrupted, empty, or encoded in an unexpected format (e.g., it might be a binary .png/.svg export rather than an XML .drawio file).
• Was this file previously openable in draw.io and suddenly stopped working, or has it never opened successfully?
• Do you have a backup copy of the file, or does your storage provider (Google Drive, OneDrive, etc.) offer version history that might let you recover a previous version?
• Is this happening with just one specific file, or with all .drawio files you try to open?

📋 Bug Report Template

**Environment:**
- draw.io version: [e.g., web app / desktop 24.x.x / Confluence plugin]
- Browser (if web): [e.g., Chrome 120, Firefox 121]
- OS: [e.g., Windows 11, macOS 14, Ubuntu 22.04]

**Steps to Reproduce:**
1. Go to ...
2. Click on ...
3. See error

**Expected Behavior:**
What you expected to happen.

**Actual Behavior:**
What actually happened.

**Screenshots/Files:**
If applicable, add screenshots or attach the .drawio file.

---

---

_{🤖 This is an automated response to help with initial triage. A human maintainer will review this issue. If you've provided all the requested information, no further action is needed - we'll get back to you soon!}

[Olly89]

Environment: - draw.io desktop app
File source and: format: - lokal disk
Steps to reproduce: - Export file as pdf
File content inspection: - File started with something else; not XML content

First line in editor - %PDF-1.7
Do you have a backup copy of the file, or does your storage provider (Google Drive, OneDrive, etc.) offer version history that might let you recover a previous version? - Do not know
Only with just one specific file that I tried to save as pdf.

[Olly89]

Found a Solution:
Rename the corrupted or incorrectly saved draw.io file by changing its file extension to .pdf. After renaming, open draw.io and use File → Import From to import the file from its original storage location.