CHM is a file format in which various kinds of help, documentation for programs, and also pages with instructions can be saved. The most common use of this format occurs in the Windows operating system. It is in this environment that standard programs for viewing CHM files exist. How to open these files? This will be described later.
The Windows operating system is literally crammed with various kinds of instructions for using the system, as well as manuals where various useful information can be indicated. For example, a guide can help you find and solve a Windows system problem.
What can be stored in CHM files?
Before you say how to open CHM, it is worth telling what can be stored in such files.
Despite the fact that this file format is used to store technical documentation (instructions, manuals, etc.), it may contain the following:
- text and the ability to format it;
- various kinds of images (different formats);
- text with hyperlinks (hyperlinks can be either to pages on the Internet, or to other pages of a CHM document).
All of the above can be stored in documents in CHM format.
It is worth noting the rather small size of these files, in contrast to the usual format for storing HTML files.
Microsoft® HTML Help Executable
How to open CHM? Despite the fact that compressed HTML files are slightly different from ordinary ones, they can still be opened using standard Windows methods without additional software.
So how to open CHM? One of the standard methods for opening files of this format is to use the Microsoft® HTML Help Executable.
How to open? To do this, you must:
- Find the file you want in CHM format.
- Call the context menu on the selected file (for this you need to right-click on it and a context menu will appear in front of you).
- In the context menu, select "Open with", after which you will need to select a program to open a file in CHM format.
- Among the programs offered, choose Microsoft® HTML Help Executable. All is ready. The file will be opened using the above program. In order to no longer have a question about how to open CHM, and not have to constantly return to using this action plan, you can select the checkbox “Use this program for all files of this format” when choosing a program to open from below.
After that, CHM format files will open automatically through Microsoft® HTML Help Executable.
Using FBReader
Those who are interested in learning how to open CHM should pay attention to the FBReader utility. Using FBReader, you can open, view, and even edit documents in this format.
Instructions for downloading and using the program to open files with the CHM extension:
- Open any browser on your computer and enter FBReader in the search box.
- After that, go to the official website of the FBReader program (most often the official sites of the programs you are looking for are in the top three results).
- Find the installers there and click on the one that suits the system requirements of your computer.
- Confirm the download and open the downloaded installer.
- Follow the installation instructions until the Finish button appears.
- Now that FBReader has been installed on your computer, use the context menu to open the CHM file.
- Select "Open with" in it and select the FBReader program. All is ready. The file will be opened on your computer.
Programs for Android
How to open CHM on Android? To open such a file on your gadget, you can use the FBReader utility. It can be downloaded for free from the Play Store. You can also use Chm Reader F for these purposes. This is a very convenient utility that can also be downloaded from the Play Store. Here you can also download another program that opens the above files. It is called Moon Reader. Another utility that will help you in this matter is SuperCHM.
Convert CHM to PDF
If you suddenly find it difficult to use one of the above methods and you do not know how to open CHM, then you can use the converter and convert CHM to PDF. The PDF format opens in any operating system with standard programs.
One of the special converters is called CHM to PDF Converter. This method is universal in most cases. Almost everyone knows that files can be converted from one format to another. In addition to the program CHM to PDF Converter, you can use one of the online services for converting CHM to PDF. To do this, enter this query in the search bar of your browser and select any of the provided online services at your discretion.
But be careful when using online services to convert, there is a huge chance to pick up a malicious program on your computer.
Compilers
Many computer users who constantly work with CHM files use compilers for this. An example of such a program would be the CHM Compiler. With its help, you can edit, watch, as well as independently create CHM format files.
Compilers are mainly used by specialists in working with CHM.