Methods to Remove Edit Protection From PDF Files – Instantly
Often you have come across many PDFs like your Bank Statement, Aadhar Card, etc. which cannot be edited further or which are secured with edit protection. This is the owner-level security which is implemented for end users by the person who has created the document.
Generally, this level of security is issued on confidential documents like Legal Advisory, etc where there is a need to password protect your PDF file so that any kind of tempering can be avoided. But what if there is an urgent requirement to remove edit protection from PDF?
Jump to the Sections:
If you still have not confessed why this situation will arrive just take a look at some of the user scenarios which is directly related to this problem.
User Queries on How to Unlock Secured PDF for Editing
“Hello, I work in an organization where documentation of work is a main issue. I have been given a PDF file of 155 pages in which I was asked to add related images. But as soon as I had tried to open the file, a message box displayed saying “file.pdf is protected. Please enter a Document Open Password”. This is the main project file so I cannot deny the work. Can any body out there help me out, how to remove edit protection from PDF?”
“Hi, I am a student and I often download study material online. Yesterday, I downloaded an eBook which is password protected. To access the book I have to purchase the book but I do not want to spend money on that as my pocket money is low. Can anybody help me out how to get rid of this situation.”
After reading the above two queries, you must be convinced why it is a big issue to unlock PDF for editing files. Moving on, we will be discussing all the possible methods that can be used to remove the protection.
Approaches to Remove Edit Protection from PDF
PDF has become one of the most desirable file formats because of its platform independence. In this section of the blog, we are going to tell you different ways to unlock secured PDF for editing.
There are two approaches to PDF remove edit protection:
We will discuss each approach briefly and concisely.
How to Unlock Secured PDF for Editing Manually?
Three manual workarounds are used and users can try to remove edit protection from PDF file. But you have to be careful while using these methods as they are not reliable which can lead to corruption of the file. The methods are:
- Adobe Acrobat Pro
- Google Chrome
- Google Drive
#Approach 1. Removing Edit Protection Using Adobe Acrobat
Adobe Acrobat is a professional and quite efficient tool. It is designed by Adobe Systems Incorporated for PDF modification like removing restrictions, adding restrictions, clearing watermarks, embedding watermarks, etc. With this, we can easily remove edit protection from PDFs. Just we have to follow the below step-by-step instructions:
- Go to the Adobe Acrobat Pro app on the system you are working.
- Now, open the Desired PDF file from which you want to remove security protection.
- Afterward, go to the Lock icon present on the left side of the display. Now, hit on the Permission Details. If you want, you can select the File>>Properties option and after that Security tab.
- Choose the Security Method, a drop-down list will be displayed and now select No Security from the given option. Now, enter the password & click OK.
- Again, select File >> Save. This option will save all the changes you made in a PDF file.
- Finally, close the Adobe Acrobat Pro application to remove edit protection from PDF.
#Approach 2. Unlock Secured PDF for Editing Via Google Chrome
Open your Chrome browser on Windows, Linux, and any other OS you are using, then perform the below-mentioned steps with your browser.
Note: If you do not have Chrome Browser on your system, then download it for free from https://www.google.com/chrome/. Simply click on the download button.
- Proceeding with the next step, open the PDF document by providing the password.
- Now, choose the Print icon present at the upper right corner of the file.
- After that, select the Change button and hit on the Save as PDF option. Finally, click on Save.
- Provide the name and destination location of the new PDF file.
- Finally, you can see the new PDF with the same content as the original PDF, without the password & security on a new file.
#Approach 3. Unlock PDF With Google Drive
This is not the direct method, but there is a trick to unlocking PDFs with Google Drive. If curious to know how let’s understand:
- Upload your Secured PDFs within Google Drive.
- Next, Right click on the document and open it with Google Docs.
- Lastly, select the text which you want to edit.
Keep in mind: This approach is not practical for large-volume data due to its repetitive steps. For numerous online documents, it is suggested to opt for an alternative solution which is described in the following section.
Expert Suggested to Remove Edit Protection from PDF
As we have already mentioned manual methods are not reliable and can cause corruption to the PDF File. Now, you must be thinking of the other alternatives to solve the issue. So, don’t worry about the same, we have brought an advanced way to remove password from encrypted PDF on Mac OS and Win OS without the implemented restrictions. This tool unlocks the PDF file from both levels of security: user-level security and owner-level security.
It removes PDF read-only restriction and other restrictions like Printing/ Copying/ Editing etc. Users can easily remove encryption from 128 / 265 bits. This application does not require the installation of Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader to unlock the PDF file. Check out how this tool works:
1. Launch the software to remove edit protection from PDF on your desktop.
2. Click on the Add File(s) option to input the files you want to unlock in the software.
3. Choose the Save or Print option as required and mark Keep Source PDF Password in the Output PDF checkbox.
4. Press the Change button to set a destination path for the final result.
5. Hit Unlock to PDF and remove edit protection.
Also Read: Adobe Fill And Sign Not Working– Here Are the Quick Ways
To Sum Up
In this blog, we have discussed the various techniques to remove edit protection from PDF file. Users can go for any of the techniques according to their requirements, but it is highly recommended to use automated solutions as they are more reliable and ensure zero chance of damage or corruption to the files.
Common Queries
Q: Why am I not able to edit the PDF file that I have?
Well, the reason is that the sender has applied the restrictions on the PDF files that you have. Which doesn’t allow you to make any changes unless you have the User/owner password.
Q: Does the tool is useful for removing edit restrictions from multiple PDF file?
Yes, the software is developed to handle and remove securities from several PDF files simultaneously.
Q: How I can enable editing on a locked PDF document?
We have explained the ways to enable the editing option for PDF files. However, for your ease, we suggest using the mentioned automated software that assists in removing the securities and lets you edit your files.
