Dealing with a non-editable PDF? Make it editable by converting the PDF to a Word document!
How to Remove a Password From a PDF Using Desktop Tools
You can accomplish password removal from a PDF using a variety of installed apps and tools in Windows, including PDF readers and editors, Microsoft Office programs such as Word, and screen capture/recording software.
1. Print a New PDF Using a PDF Reader
This technique can be used with any PDF reader installed on Windows: Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, Foxit PDF Reader, Nitro PDF Reader, PDF Xchange, Sumatra PDF, Slim PDF, etc. The method is very simple: you just need to create a fresh PDF print and save it to your computer. Note: you can’t proceed with the next few steps if you don’t remember the password of your PDF file.
2. Save as a PDF in Word
If you have a newer version of Word (Office 2019 and beyond), you would have noticed that it renders PDF files rather beautifully and can save in the same format. The trick is to open the password-protected PDF file in Word and save it as a PDF once again. Note: don’t select the option “Always use Word to open .pdf files.” This setting is for one-time use only.
3. Use Scrolling Screenshots
Windows offers many different ways to capture scrolling screenshots of multiple app screens from top to bottom. These screenshots are saved in JPG or PNG format and can later be converted to a PDF file using online tools. For this demonstration, we are using ShareX, which is easy to download and install on any Windows 11/10/8.1/7 device.
4. Use a PDF Editor’s Remove Security Feature
This is a paid option that you can only access if you’ve subscribed to premium PDF editor software. Adobe Acrobat Pro, Foxit PDF Editor (formerly PhantomPDF), and EaseUS PDF Editor have a superb feature called “Remove Security,” which can be accessed from their Encryption or Protection menu tabs. While the primary purpose of such software is to edit PDF files, it has several advanced uses, such as removing watermarks and passwords. Most PDF editor software supports a free trial for you to evaluate the available features. Tip: learn how to compress PDF documents on desktop and mobile.
How to Remove a Password from a PDF Using Online Tools
There are many online tools that allow you to remove a PDF password on a browser installed on a Windows device. These methods work well for most modern browsers, such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox.
1. Using Google Drive and Google Docs
Google Drive and Google Docs are capable of opening and saving PDF files, including those that are password-protected. To remove the password, import the file into Google Drive, then open and save it in Google Docs.
2. Using Smallpdf
Smallpdf has an Unlock PDF option that quickly creates a new PDF file with the password removed.
3. Using iLovePDF
iLovePDF is one of the best online tools for quickly removing PDF passwords. It is very easy to use and gives quick results. There is other online software with PDF removal capabilities, such as:
SodaPDFOnlineOnline2PDFPDFCandy
Image credit: Pexels. All screenshots by Sayak Boral.
