How do you remove password protection from a PDF?

Windows has a built-in function called Microsoft Print to PDF that you can use to remove password protection from pdf, as well as unlock restricted PDF files for editing and sharing.

Instructions: Open your encrypted PDF file in Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome browser, enter the PDF opening password to view content, press the shortcut Ctrl + P to open the print panel, select "Microsoft Print to PDF" as the target printer, click Print, then choose a folder to save your new PDF document. This built-in method requires no third-party software and swiftly helps you fully remove password protection from pdf, eliminating all document access limitations.

Its advantages include: it comes pre-installed on all Windows systems; there is no need to upload files online; it preserves most of the text and image content from the original PDF; and it supports the instant creation of unencrypted PDF copies.

Its disadvantages include: it is relatively slow when rendering PDFs with dozens of pages; it occasionally loses fillable form fields or interactive elements; and you must know the original password to access locked PDFs.

Note

• Be sure to enter the correct PDF password first; otherwise, the document cannot be loaded to remove the PDF’s password protection.
• Back up the original encrypted PDF file before saving the new, unprotected print copy.
• Carefully verify the save location to avoid accidentally overwriting the original password-protected PDF file.
• Do not close the browser tab during the printing process, as this may result in an incomplete or corrupted PDF file.

It allows you to quickly generate an unencrypted PDF copy using basic printing functions. This feature is suitable for general users who only need to perform simple PDF decryption on a Windows computer, as well as for those who wish to create unlocked copies of password-protected documents for personal archiving purposes.