Local diagnosis
The diagnosis form ranks routes in your browser. It does not send your typed issue description to Plain Tools.
Problem diagnosis
Diagnose a PDF or file problem in plain language
If you know the symptom but not the right route, this page shortens the gap. Many file problems sound simple on the surface: the PDF is too large, the scan is hard to edit, the file will not open, the portal keeps rejecting it, or the document needs to be shared without adding more privacy risk. The harder part is deciding which tool is actually the best fit. A generic tools directory helps if you already know the answer. A diagnosis layer helps when you do not.
Plain Tools is built around practical local workflows, so the diagnosis flow is honest about what happens next. It does not pretend every issue has one magic fix. Instead it maps the symptom, device, and goal to the most relevant main tool or tool-variant route. That matters because “compress PDF” is not the same job as “compress PDF for email”, and “make a scanned PDF searchable” is not the same job as “convert PDF to Word so I can edit the wording”.
The diagnosis itself stays local in the browser. Your free-text explanation is used to rank recommendations on-device, not sent to Plain Tools. Once you open a recommended route, the core local workflow keeps file bytes on your device for the supported tools that genuinely work that way. That makes this page useful both as a triage layer and as a trust signal for privacy-conscious users who want more than a grid of buttons.
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How the diagnosis works
The rule engine combines the obvious signals first: file type, main problem, device, and goal. Then it uses your free-text description to catch the language people actually use, such as “too large for email”, “password locked”, “scan needs editing”, or “job portal rejects my PDF”. That lets the page recommend routes that feel more specific than a generic category page without inventing a fake AI answer or sending the text to a remote classifier.
The strongest matches usually point to a tool-variant page because the modifier is where user intent becomes clearer. For example, a user trying to compress a file for email usually needs a different outcome from someone compressing a file for archive storage. The same principle applies to merging on Mac, making scanned PDFs searchable, or preparing a password-protected file for sharing. Diagnosis is most useful when it helps you start on the right route first time.
Trust and next steps
Core local workflows
The recommended routes prioritise tools where the main processing path stays on your device with no file upload step to Plain Tools.
Verify if you want proof
Open Verify Claims to inspect the behaviour in DevTools and confirm the local-processing promise for yourself.
FAQ
Why is my PDF file so big?
Large PDFs usually contain scanned pages, heavy images, embedded fonts, or several files merged into one. Compression, splitting, or OCR often solves the real bottleneck.
Can I diagnose a PDF problem without uploading the file?
Yes. The diagnosis form runs locally in the browser and recommends the best Plain Tools route. Core local tool workflows keep file bytes on your device.
What if my PDF will not open?
A PDF may fail because it is locked, oversized, damaged, or too heavy for the current viewer. The diagnosis flow helps narrow down which next step is most practical.
Is local PDF processing more private?
For the core local workflows, yes. Local processing removes the upload step to Plain Tools and keeps the file on your device during the main task.
Does Plain Tools store my diagnosis text?
No. The free-text explanation is used locally in the browser to rank recommendations. It is not sent to Plain Tools by the diagnosis flow.
What if the recommendations are close but not exact?
Start with the nearest fit, review the result, and rerun the diagnosis with a clearer description. You can also open a related guide or contact support.