My PDF is password protected and I need to submit it tonight so I have to remove the restriction first. Tried opening it a few different ways on my laptop but nothing worked. How do I strip the password off quickly?
If you know the password, open it in Chrome or Edge, enter the password, then Print and choose “Save as PDF.” Check the new copy carefully because links, forms, or signatures may not carry over. If printing is blocked or you don’t know the password, you’ll need the owner to send an unlocked copy or provide permission. I learned the hard way not to upload private paperwork to random sites.
If you know the password, open it in Adobe Acrobat, click File > Properties > Security, set Security Method to “No Security,” enter the password, then save a new copy. If it only blocks printing or editing, ask the sender for an unrestricted copy rather than trying to bypass it. I learned the hard way that printing to Microsoft Print to PDF can flatten forms or signatures, so check the new file before submitting.
If you know the password, open the file in Chrome or Edge, enter it, then hit Print and choose Save as PDF, which gives you an unlocked copy in seconds. On a Mac, Preview’s Export as PDF does the same job. If you don’t know the password there’s no quick legitimate way round it, so your best bet is asking whoever sent it for an unlocked version.
If it’s just an open password and you know it, I just open it in Acrobat, hit File then Properties then Security and set it to No Security. Fast and no upload needed.
Assuming you know the password, Chrome handles this.
- Open the PDF in Chrome and type the passwrod.
- Ctrl+P, pick ‘Save as PDF’ as the printer.
- Save it, the new copy opens without asking for anything.
Funny how the ‘protection’ mostly stops the actual owner, right? Did that work?
If you know the password, open it in PDFcap, enter the password, then use Save As or Remove Security to make an unlocked copy. Double-check the new file opens without asking for a password before submitting it. If you don’t know the password, the fastest legitimate option is to ask the sender or issuing office for an unlocked copy.
Quick question, is it a password to open the file (asks for password right when you open it) or just a restriction on printing/editing while it opens fine normally? Makes a difference for what to try.
If you know the password and can open it, Acrobat can strip it under File > Properties > Security > No Security. If you don’t know it, I honestly don’t have a quick legit fix, that’s by design.
@SilentHunter That Chrome print trick is what I fall back on too, quickest thing that works on my old laptop. One catch, the bookmark/outline tree usually doesn’t survive the print step, so check that before you submit if it’s a long document.
If you know the password to open it, try your browser:
- Open the file in Chrome or Edge and enter the password.
- Press Ctrl+P (or Cmd+P).
- Choose ‘Save as PDF’ and save.
That creates an unlocked copy. Learned that the hard way rushing an onboarding packet before a cutoff!
I process locked bank statements for my 3 biggest clients all the time.
Just open the file in Chrome, enter your password, and choose Print to PDF to save an unlocked copy.
Did that work on your laptop?
@phantom_midnight First thing I try is Chrome, enter the password, then Print and Save as PDF. I do that with locked client proofs before I send invoices. Just open the new file once so you know it looks right.
@phantom_midnight same here, Chrome print is my go to for locked forms at the office. One heads up for anyone trying it: Save as PDF can flatten fillable fields, so open the new copy and check the forms before you send it off.
If you know the password: 1. Open it in Acrobat. 2. File > Properties > Security. 3. Set Security Method to “No Security,” enter the password, then save a copy. If you don’t know it, ask the sender for an unlocked copy.