Quick Navigation: How to Open PDF Without Password
On the whole, we provide 3 ways to unlock PDF without a password. The following table shows a brief overview of the methods, click to openpdf without a password.
| Workable Solutions | Step-by-step Troubleshooting |
|---|---|
| Unlock PDF Without Password on Windows |
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| Unlock PDF Without Password on Mac |
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"Hi there, do you know how to decrypt an encrypted PDF file without apassword?Iencrypted an important thesisPDF file a few days ago and didn't record the code word.Right now, I need to use the file. But I cannot access it. Do you know how to open encrypted PDFs without a password?"
- If the PDF contains sensitive or confidential content, people may encrypt it to protect the PDF content from unauthorized editing, opening, copying, and printing.
- Also, there are times users receive a PDF file that needs to be unlocked with a password before they can read it.
- Usually, you can decrypt the encrypted PDF document with a key and access to edit it easily.
However, it happens a lot; demonstrated in the scenario, users forget the password of the PDF and are not able to open it. Don't worry. This page will show you the three most used ways to open encrypted PDF files without a password. Moreover, reliable software is recommended here to recover lost PDF files.
First Thing to Do: Restore Deleted or Lost PDF Files
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Step 1. Choose the location
Select the drive where you lost your PDF/PPT/Word/Excel files and click "Scan".
Step 2.Scan for lost documents
When the scanning process completes. Click "Documents" in the left panel.You can find wanted documents according to the file type. Or, directly search the files' names. When you find the documents, click "Preview" to see if it's the desired one.
Step 3. Recover lost documents
Select the wanted PDF/PPT/Word/Excel/TXT/ZIP documents and click the "Recover" button to save them to another secure location.
Part 1. How to Unlock PDF Without Password on Windows 10/8/7
If you don't have a password, you may not be able to remove the password on your PDF file. You can try all the following approaches until you can open encrypted PDF files. Check the table that covers the main features of the 3 solutions.
| Comparison | Adobe Acrobat (Recommend) | Free Online Password Mover | Google Chrome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Success Rate | High | High | Low |
| Information Security | Yes | Yes (Secure Handling of your info.) | Not Sure |
| Suitable users | Adobe Acrobat users | Online Tool enthusiast | Prefer manual way without third-party software |
| Free or Paid | Paid | Free | Free |
Fix 1. UnlockEncrypted PDF Without Password viaAdobe Acrobat
Adobe Acrobat will work even if the PDF has printing restrictions, and can't be printed in other applications. Here's how
1. Open the encrypted or locked PDF file in Adobe Acrobat.
2. Click "File" and open Properties.
3. Now, click on "Permission Details" and open the Securitytab.Check the "No Security" option.
4. Click on the "Remove Password in Security Method" menu.Then the password will be removed.
5. Save the PDF file and now access the file.
Fix 2. Remove Password from PDF fileswith Free Online PDF Password Remover
When you search on a web browser, you might find many available PDF password removers. You can choose a high reputation and credibility tool to avoid data theft or damage. SmallPDFis afreeonline service that helps to open an encrypted PDF filewith ease.
Tip:We cannot guarantee that the PDF password remover mentioned here is free of any security issues. To be 100% safe, we highly suggest that you first choose the one you trust.
Step 1.Go to the Smallpdf website.
Step 2. Click on "Choose file" and upload yourencrypted PDF document.
Step 3.Then,click on "Unlock PDF!", and wait for the process to finish. As soon as the password restriction is removed from the PDF file,download it to save it locally. Then, you can access and open the PDF without a password.
Fix 3. Open/Unlock Encrypted PDF Using Google Chrome
In case the PDF document is restricted to copy but prevents printing. You can simply use Chrome browse to print the secured PDF file just like a normal PDF file and later copy the required text from it.
Step 1. Open the Secured PDF Document.
Step 2. Print the Secured PDF.
Go for the "Print" option in the top right corner of the Chrome browser.
Step 3. Save the secured Normal PDF.
Save the file by clicking on the Save button, giving the title. Select the text and press Ctrl+C to copy the desired text.
Fix 4. Open Encrypted PDF with Adobe Reader
Step 1. Locate and open the encryptedPDF file. Right-click it and then select "Open with".
Step 2.Click "Choose another app", open PDFfiles with Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat, then press "OK".
Step 3.If Adobe Reader prompts you for the password, enter as required. Now, you can open and see the encryptedPDFfiles.
Part 2. How to Unlock PDF Without Password on Mac
If you are a Mac user, you can also unlock PDF files with free utilities. Follow the solutions below to unlock PDF files on a MacBook.
Method 1. Free Unlock PDF Free in Preview on Mac
Preview is the free utility to open, view, edit and manage both image and PDF files on Mac. This tool is free but you need to input passwords to unlock PDFs. Steps to unlock owner password-protected PDFs on Mac:
1. Open the owner's password-protected PDF document with Preview.
2. Go to "File" > "Export as PDF".
3. Input the owner password as required and click "Unlock".
4. Rename the PDF file, leave Encrypt unchecked and click "Save" to unlock PDF on Mac.
Method 2. Remove PDF Password on Mac with a Web Browser
There is a pretty solid way to remove your PDF password on Mac using the web browser. Here's how:
Step 1. Right-click your PDF file and open it with Google Chrome or Safari.
Step 2. Enter the password to unlock the file.
Step 3. Press Command + P to open the print dialog box.
Step 4. In Google Chrome, click "Save".
Step 5. In Safari, select Save as PDF in the drop-down menu.
Step 6. Save the file with a new file name.
Now, you can access this file without the password. It will be saved locally on your device.
Wrap It Up
I hope by trying the above methods,you can open encrypted PDF without a password. Google Chrome and Adobe Acrobat are secure ways to unlock PDF without a password. Then, you can keep it for reuse.
To protect your PDF files, in addition to encryption, you can also back up the files regularly. If you don't want to do it by yourself, you can resort to scheduled backup software for automatic backup daily, weekly, or monthly. However, if you lose your PDF due to careless deletion, don't worry, you can recover the lost files effortlessly with a professional data recovery program.
How to Open Encrypted PDF FAQs
Here are a few more questions related to how to open an encrypted PDF file.Check the answers if you have the same problems.
How do I unencrypt a PDF?
- Open Adobe Acrobat, click "Advanced" at the top of the window.
- Select "Security" and then click "Remove Security." Click "OK" to confirmand remove the encryption.
- Acrobat might prompt for the password.If so, enter it and press "OK."
How do you open an encrypted PDF file?
Open Encrypted PDF with Adobe Reader:
Step 1. Locate and open the encryptedPDF file. Right-click it and then select "Open with".
Step 2. Click "Choose another app", open PDFfiles with Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat, then press "OK".
Step 3. If Adobe Reader prompts you for the password, enter as required. Now, you can open and see the encryptedPDFfiles.
How do I upload an encrypted PDF?
You can find a site that enables you to unlock and upload an encrypted PDF file. Usually, you can click "Browse" or "Select File" on the main page. Then, use the file browser window that opens to locate the encrypted PDFfile on your hard drive, and then click "Open" or "Upload".
How do I unlock encrypted PDFfrom Google Drive?
- Upload encrypted PDF to Google Drive.
- Double-click the PDF file,fill in your password, and press "OK". Click "Submit".
- Press "Ctrl +P" to open the Print window.
- Under the targeted printer, choose "Save as PDF"
- Download the PDF file to your PC.
FAQs
Can you remove a password from a PDF if you forgot the password? ›
Important: You need to know the password to remove it from a PDF. If you don't know the password, there's no practical way to open the file or remove the password.
How do I open a locked PDF without the password? ›...
How to remove password from PDF files:
- Drag and drop your document in the PDF Password Remover.
- Confirm that you have the right to the file and click 'Unlock PDF!'.
- The decryption process should start right away.
- Modify your PDF further, or click 'Download File' to save the unlocked PDF.
Use the built in pdf reader in Chrome to open the document. When prompted, enter the password. Go to the File menu and select Print, instead of sending it to a printer select destination printer as "Save as PDF" The password should have been removed on the new document.
How do I remove my password? ›- On your Android phone or tablet, open Chrome .
- At the top right, tap More .
- Tap Settings. Password Manager.
- Show, delete, edit, or export a password: Show: Tap the password that you want to show. Show password. . Delete: Tap the password that you want to remove. At the top, tap Delete. .
- Download this repository to your computer and unzip it.
- Enter the URL of the protected view only PDF File into your browser. ...
- Open the script "Download_Script_3. ...
- Then open the browser web console.
- Paste the copied script into the console and press enter.
- Now the PDF should be downloaded.
- Open Adobe Reader.
- Click "Edit" in the menu bar.
- Click "Preferences."
- Click "Security (Enhanced)" of Categories.
- Uncheck "Enable Protected Mode At Startup."
Adobe Acrobat Pro X)
Choose the Secure drop down Menu • Select Remove Security Page 2 • Choose the File drop down menu and select Save As to save the document in a location where you can upload your eFiling document.
Step 2: Go to the Tools menu, then click on Protect, then Encrypt and then click Remove Security. Step 3: If the PDF has a password to open the document, users will have to enter the password before removal. If it has a permissions password, they will have to enter it again and click OK twice to remove PDF password.
What app can remove passwords? ›iSeePassword. iSeePassword is another excellent tool for removing Android locks. It can directly remove the password from Android screen.
How do I remove an app lock password without password? ›- 1- Open the app, tap on the Tools tab and then select Applock (click from a smartphone).
- 2- Tap on the “Options” ( ) button at the top right corner.
- 3- Select “Forgot your password?”.
- 4- Tap “Login with Google”.
- 5- Enter the email and password used to activate Applock.
Can I get rid of all my passwords? ›
To clear all your saved passwords, clear browsing data and select Passwords. By default, Chrome offers to save your password. You can turn this option off or on at any time. On your computer, open Chrome.