Opening a workshop manual on an iPad

Northern jock

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I’ve downloaded a workshop manual which when unzipped is a folder containing many more folders.

How do I get a shortcut (or similar) on the desktop that just opens the whole manual?
 
On Windows desktop:-
Right click on downloaded file (folder) of manual you want as a shortcut, Run mouse or finger over (Send to) Left click on (Desktop save to shortcut).
Short cut of manual will show in your Desktop, drag and place new shortcut file on your Desktop window.

Hope this helps.
 
Last edited:
On Windows desktop:-
Right click on downloaded file (folder) of manual you want as a shortcut, Run mouse or finger over (Send to) Left click on (Desktop save to shortcut).
Short cut of manual will show in your Desktop, drag and place new shortcut file on your Desktop window.

Hope this helps.
Not much for an iPad…
 
If they are PDF files, save them to iBook.

You should then see something like this in your iPad’s iBook library:

IMG_2297.jpeg


In the screenshot, there’s two books, along with a series of individual PDF files of route maps, a German magazine article and a couple of other PDF’s.

Tapping on an individual icon (I guess you call it) then opens the PDF up:

IMG_2298.jpgIMG_2299.jpgIMG_2300.jpgIMG_2301.jpg


The broad black border is simply because I am not viewing the PDF in portrait mode: Here’s the map in portrait mode:

IMG_2302.jpg


You can then zoom in and do lots of other clever things, too.
 
Last edited:
Not much for an iPad…
Seems I missed the ipad part on his title, (me bad) however, this might help more-

Creating a Shortcut to Open Your Workshop Manual​

To create a shortcut on your iPad's home screen that opens the entire workshop manual folder, follow these steps using the Shortcuts app:

Steps to Create the Shortcut​

  1. Open the Shortcuts App:
    • Launch the Shortcuts app on your iPad.
  2. Create a New Shortcut:
    • Tap the “+” button in the top-right corner to start a new shortcut.
  3. Add the "Open File" Action:
    • Search for and select the “Open File” action.
  4. Select the Folder:
    • Tap the field for the file or folder.
    • Navigate to the folder containing your workshop manual and select it.
  5. Save and Name the Shortcut:
    • Give your shortcut a meaningful name, such as “Open Workshop Manual”.
  6. Add to Home Screen:
    • Tap the three dots in the upper right corner of the shortcut.
    • Select “Add to Home Screen” to create an icon on your desktop.

Important Notes​

  • Ensure that the folder is accessible in the Files app.
  • If the folder is in a cloud service (like iCloud Drive), make sure you have the necessary permissions to access it.
  • The shortcut will open the folder directly in the Files app, allowing you to view all the contents of your workshop manual.
By following these steps, you will have a convenient shortcut on your home screen that opens your workshop manual folder directly.
 
One of the issues is there are many folders and I can’t see, even in the Files folder, how to open the manual rather than just eg brakes, front, pipe, fixing.
When I tried to add the whole file to IBooks, iBooks didn’t appear as an option.
So it’s me I realise and I’ll find a youth to hand it to.
 
Seems I missed the ipad part on his title, (me bad) however, this might help more-

Creating a Shortcut to Open Your Workshop Manual​

To create a shortcut on your iPad's home screen that opens the entire workshop manual folder, follow these steps using the Shortcuts app:

Steps to Create the Shortcut​

  1. Open the Shortcuts App:
    • Launch the Shortcuts app on your iPad.
  2. Create a New Shortcut:
    • Tap the “+” button in the top-right corner to start a new shortcut.
  3. Add the "Open File" Action:
    • Search for and select the “Open File” action.
  4. Select the Folder:
    • Tap the field for the file or folder.
    • Navigate to the folder containing your workshop manual and select it.
  5. Save and Name the Shortcut:
    • Give your shortcut a meaningful name, such as “Open Workshop Manual”.
  6. Add to Home Screen:
    • Tap the three dots in the upper right corner of the shortcut.
    • Select “Add to Home Screen” to create an icon on your desktop.

Important Notes​

  • Ensure that the folder is accessible in the Files app.
  • If the folder is in a cloud service (like iCloud Drive), make sure you have the necessary permissions to access it.
  • The shortcut will open the folder directly in the Files app, allowing you to view all the contents of your workshop manual.
By following these steps, you will have a convenient shortcut on your home screen that opens your workshop manual folder directly.
Tomorrow it is!
 
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have you downloaded something that is zipped into a .rar file, not a .zip file? Does your decompression utility handle .rar?

older hookie downloads are often in .rar files as it gets around the "file size" limit in legacy systems.

I use windows and have the TUGZIP utility

A quick google suggests this apple utility https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/unzip-zip-rar-7z-file-opener/id1281374098 handles .rar
 
have you downloaded something that is zipped into a .rar file, not a .zip file? Does your decompression utility handle .rar?

older hookie downloads are often in .rar files as it gets around the "file size" limit in legacy systems.

I use windows and have the TUGZIP utility

A quick google suggests this apple utility https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/unzip-zip-rar-7z-file-opener/id1281374098 handles .rar
Definitely a zip file, I bought the manual online from hopefully a decent source and the extracted files are indeed manual stuff.
I think the issue might be when I go down the route of opening/sharing with Books, Books isn’t there and I need to get it added to options. It looks like I need to reveal Books as an option so I’ll get on to that later.
All comments appreciated
 
You might well find that iBooks is not flashed up by your iPad, if you maybe don’t use it that often. Assuming what you are looking to save are PDF files (or something that iBooks can work with) you might need to prompt your iPad to open iBooks. From memory, you see the apps that your iPad thinks are most useful for opening the files, followed by three or more dots. Tap on the dots and see if iBooks is listed.
 


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