Remove password protection from a PDF
Removes the encryption from a PDF so it opens without a prompt and stops refusing to print or copy. If the file needs a password to open at all, you will need to supply it. This does not break encryption on a document you cannot already open.
How to remove password protection from a PDF
- 1Open the protected PDFThe tool works out whether the file needs a password to open, or only carries permission restrictions.
- 2Enter the password if askedIt is used in the page to decrypt the document and is never transmitted anywhere.
- 3Download the unlocked fileThe output opens without a prompt and has no printing or copying restrictions.
Questions
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. The file is read by your browser and processed in the page. It never reaches a server, so there is no upload to wait for, no queue, and no copy of your document sitting somewhere with a retention policy.
Can it open a PDF when I do not know the password?
No, and that is deliberate. If the document is encrypted with an open password, you have to supply it. There is no cracking or brute forcing here. Documents that only carry permission restrictions, the kind that block printing or copying, can be unlocked without one.
Is my password sent anywhere?
No. It is used by the decryption code running in this page and is discarded when you leave. It is never put in a request.
What is the difference between the two kinds of password?
A user password is required to open the document at all. An owner password leaves the file readable but restricts printing, copying or editing. Owner restrictions can be lifted without knowing the password; user passwords cannot.