Guides & how-tos
Short, practical answers to everyday file problems, each with the free tool that solves it.
How to Count Words in a PDF (Free, No Acrobat Needed)
Your essay limit is 3,000 words and all you have is the PDF. Free readers don't count words, but extracting the text gets you an accurate number in about a minute.
October 19, 2026 · 5 min read
How to Open a .tar.gz File on Windows (No Extra Software)
A colleague sent a server backup as a .tar.gz and Windows stares back blankly. Modern Windows can open it without installing anything. Here are three ways.
October 17, 2026 · 5 min read
How to Send a Folder as a ZIP File by Email
You need to send a whole folder, but Gmail only attaches files. Here is how to zip it on any device, and what to do when the ZIP is still too big to send.
October 15, 2026 · 5 min read
WebP vs JPG vs PNG: Which Image Format Should You Use?
Your logo has an ugly white box, your screenshot is 5 MB and the image you saved won't open. All three come from picking the wrong format. Here is how to choose.
October 14, 2026 · 4 min read
How to Extract Text From a Screenshot (Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android)
A friend sent a screenshot of a recipe, a colleague sent an error message as a picture. Here is how to copy the text out in seconds instead of retyping it.
October 13, 2026 · 5 min read
How to Make an Image Under 100 KB for an Online Form
The job portal wants a photo under 100 KB and yours is 4 MB. Here is the order of steps that gets you under the limit on the first try, plus the KB trap that catches people out.
October 11, 2026 · 5 min read
How to Combine Scanned Pages Into One PDF (Phone or Computer)
The bank wants one PDF and you have nine separate scans named scan1 to scan9. Here is how to get them into one file, in the right order, the right way up.
October 10, 2026 · 5 min read
How to Make a PDF Smaller for Email (Under 25 MB or 20 MB)
Your lease or scanned paperwork is 38 MB and the email won't send. Here is how to find out why a PDF is big and the quickest way to get it under the limit.
October 9, 2026 · 5 min read
How to Convert HEIC to JPG on Windows (3 Free Ways)
You copied the holiday photos from your iPhone and Windows shows blank thumbnails. Here are three free fixes, from a two-minute browser conversion to never seeing HEIC again.
October 7, 2026 · 5 min read
How to Remove Location Data From a Photo Before You Post or Send It
That photo of your new couch for the marketplace listing may contain your home's exact coordinates. Here is how to check, and how to clean it in under a minute.
October 6, 2026 · 5 min read
How to Fix Broken Line Breaks When You Copy Text From a PDF
You copy a paragraph out of a PDF, paste it into an email, and get a staircase of short lines with "infor- mation" split in two. Here is the quick fix.
October 3, 2026 · 5 min read
How to Add Page Numbers to a PDF (Skip the Cover, Use Page X of Y)
The report is final, the PDF is exported, and you realise there are no page numbers. No need to go back to the original file. Here is how to number a PDF directly, cover page skipped.
October 1, 2026 · 5 min read
How to Open a 7z File on a Mac, Chromebook or Phone
7-Zip is a Windows program, so a .7z file on a Mac or Chromebook can feel like a dead end. It isn't. Here is how to open one on any device, password-protected archives included.
September 29, 2026 · 5 min read
How to Rotate PDF Pages Permanently (Fix Sideways Scans)
You rotated the sideways page in your PDF viewer, sent the file, and the recipient sees it sideways again. Here is how to fix the rotation for good, in under a minute.
September 26, 2026 · 5 min read
How to Find and Fix Invalid JSON (and Format It Nicely)
Your app says "Unexpected token } in JSON at position 214" and you have no idea where position 214 is. Here is how to find the error in seconds, and the six mistakes behind almost every broken JSON file.
September 24, 2026 · 4 min read
How to Remove a Password From a PDF You Own
Your bank emails statements locked with your date of birth, and you type it every single time. If you know the password, you can save a copy that opens normally. Here is how.
September 22, 2026 · 5 min read
WebP Image Won't Open? How to Convert WebP to JPG or PNG
You right-clicked, chose Save image, and got a .webp file your app or upload form refuses. Here is the two-minute fix, and when to choose JPG versus PNG.
September 19, 2026 · 4 min read
How to Make a Wi-Fi QR Code So Guests Can Connect Instantly
Tired of spelling out your Wi-Fi password letter by letter? A Wi-Fi QR code lets guests join with one scan. Here is how to make one that never expires, and print it so it works.
September 17, 2026 · 5 min read
How to Split a Large PDF Into Smaller Files
The upload portal takes 10 MB per file and your PDF is 48 MB. Or you scanned five letters into one file. Here is how to split a PDF exactly where you want, without losing quality.
September 15, 2026 · 5 min read
How to Batch Resize Photos for a Website (Without Photoshop)
Thirty-six product photos straight off the camera, 137 MB in total, and your shop page loads like treacle. Here is how to resize the lot in one go, and what size to choose.
September 12, 2026 · 5 min read
How to Extract RAR Files Without WinRAR (Any Device)
Someone sent you a .rar and your computer has no idea what to do with it. Here is how to open it without installing WinRAR, on Windows, Mac, Chromebook or your phone.
September 10, 2026 · 5 min read
How to Password-Protect a PDF Before You Email It
Your tax return, payslip or medical letter is about to go out as an email attachment. Here is how to lock it with a password in a minute, and how to get the password to the recipient safely.
September 8, 2026 · 5 min read
How to Save PDF Pages as JPG Images (and Pick the Right Resolution)
You want one page of a PDF as a picture for a slide, a post or a chat. Here is how to convert PDF pages to JPG, and which resolution actually gives you a sharp result.
September 5, 2026 · 5 min read
Character Limits for Social Media Posts: X, Instagram, LinkedIn and More
You wrote the perfect post and the app cut it off mid-sentence. Here are the character limits that matter, and the hidden rules about links, emoji and text messages.
September 3, 2026 · 5 min read
How to Merge PDFs Without Acrobat (iPhone, Mac and Windows)
The rental agency wants your ID, payslips and bank statement as one PDF. You don't need Acrobat for that. Here is how to merge PDFs on any device in a couple of minutes.
September 1, 2026 · 5 min read