How to Remove a Password from a Portable Document Format (PDF)

by Alexa Thomson I am an accountancy expert who has worked with

Portable Document Format (PDF) files are one of the most well-known and used file formats around the world. It can be used to scan any document you want to send, or even compress some information you want to share. However, sometimes PDFs come with password encryption, which must be entered if you wish to access the document.

Here we present two ways to do so. Both methods will operate on the assumption that you know the password, although if you do not, then there is no easy way to decrypt the file. The two ways will cover a trick that can be used on any OS and the other method known as the official Adobe Acrobat.

The Convenient Trick: Printing The PDF

This trick may sound a little too obvious, but this will work, and you can remove the password through this one. Once you are done with this step, then your system will create a duplicate of the PDF, which would not have password encryption.

This process, however, will only work on PDF with no printing restrictions. Most of the PDFs are merely encrypted to deny access and can be printed if you provide the correct password.

This can be done in a few ways. First, if you have Chrome for Mac, Windows, Chrome OS, or Linux, then this can be done through the browser.

Open the PDF file by providing the correct password.
Tap on the “Print” icon on the toolbar.
Press the “Change” button from Destination and then select Save as PDF.
Tap the Save button and provide a new name, and location for the PDF.

There will be a duplicate file with the same information saved. This one would not have a password, though. This trick will work through Chrome on any OS, but this can be performed with different apps and printers for PDF.

Another way to do this is on Windows 10. The latest Windows OS comes with a PDF printer meaning that this can be done in Microsoft Edge, or any PDF viewer you possess.

Open the PDF in MS Edge after providing the needed password.
Press the Print option from the PDF toolbar.
Choose the Microsoft Print to PDF and press Print.
Provide a new name and location for the duplicate file.

Official Method: Adobe Acrobat Pro

It is a paid version of Adobe Acrobat, and will even be able to print files with printing restrictions. Adobe provides a free week-long trial for the application. To print the file:

Open the document through Adobe Acrobat Pro after providing the necessary password.
Press the lock option presented at the left window and tap on Permission Details.
This can also be done through File-Properties-Security.
Tap on the Security Tab and choose No Security.
Press OK and the password will be removed.
Go on Files and press Save to save the changes.

There you go, the PDF document will now be password-free for you to use.

Source By: Epson printer support.