PDF files (Portable Document Format) are everywhere — from resumes and business contracts to school assignments and scanned reports. They’re great for keeping formatting intact, but let’s be honest: PDFs can be tricky to work with when something goes wrong.
In this guide, we’ll cover five common PDF problems people face every day and give you simple, step-by-step solutions. You’ll also discover how to fix them instantly with free tools on Convertypdf.com — no signup, no software downloads.
1: Oversized PDF Files That Are Hard to Share
Problem: Large PDFs take ages to upload, can’t be emailed easily, and slow down when opened on mobile. This usually happens with image-heavy files or scanned documents.
Solution: Use a Compress PDF tool to reduce file size without losing quality.
Convertypdf.com’s Compress PDF Tool can shrink files instantly online.
Choose lossless compression for quality preservation, or lossy compression for maximum size reduction.
Pro Tip: Scan at 150–200 DPI for text-heavy files to keep sizes small from the start.
2. PDFs That Can’t Be Edited
Problem: Need to fix a typo, update a price list, or add a new image — but your PDF is locked in place? PDFs are not like Word files; they’re made for fixed layouts.
Solution:
- Use an Edit PDF tool to make changes directly online.
- Or, convert the PDF to Word or Excel, make edits, then save it back as PDF.
- If it’s scanned, run it through OCR (Optical Character Recognition) first.
🔗 Try: Edit PDF Online for Free
3. Locked or Password-Protected PDFs
Problem: You’ve got a PDF but can’t open it or print it without a password. This is great for privacy but annoying when you forget the password or need to reuse your own document.
Solution: If it’s your file or you have permission, use an Unlock PDF tool.
Convertypdf.com’s Unlock PDF removes restrictions safely and quickly.
Pro Tip: Always respect document ownership. Unlocking without permission can be illegal in some regions.
4. PDFs That Won’t Open or Show Errors
Problem: Your PDF shows blank pages, missing images, strange symbols, or refuses to open. Common causes include file corruption, missing fonts, or outdated PDF software.
Solution: Re-download or get a fresh copy of the file.
Try opening it in a different PDF reader or browser.
Use a PDF Repair tool to fix corrupted files.
🔗 Repair here: Fix Corrupted PDFs Online
Pro Tip: Always embed fonts when creating PDFs to prevent display issues.
5. Combining or Splitting PDFs
Problem:
You need to merge multiple PDFs into one file for a report or split a large PDF into smaller sections for easier sharing.
Solution: Use Merge PDF to combine files in any order you like.
Use Split PDF to extract specific pages or sections.
🔗 Try merging and splitting here: Merge PDF Free | Split PDF Free
Pro Tip: Compress large merged files before emailing them.
Bonus PDF Handling Tips: Keep a backup of your original document before making edits.
Use descriptive file names like Invoice_March2025.pdf instead of document.pdf.
Use tagged PDFs for accessibility so screen readers can interpret content.
Conclusion: PDF problems are common but easily solvable. Whether it’s a file that’s too large, locked, corrupted, or needs rearranging, the solution is often just a few clicks away.
With free, no-signup tools like Convertypdf.com, you can compress, edit, unlock, repair, merge, and split PDFs right from your browser — without paying for expensive software.
Next time you face a PDF issue, you won’t waste hours searching for solutions — you’ll already have them at your fingertips.