How do you remove password protection from a PDF?

On Windows 10/11, you can remove password protection from a PDF if you know the current password and are authorized to change the document. An open password prevents the PDF from being viewed, while a permissions or owner password can restrict editing, copying, printing, and content extraction.

• Create an unlocked PDF copy with Microsoft Print to PDF

Microsoft Print to PDF is a free Windows 10/11 workaround that can create a new PDF copy without an open-password prompt, provided that you know the current password and the protected PDF allows printing.

1. Open the protected PDF in Microsoft Edge.
2. Enter the current password.
3. Press Ctrl + P.
4. Select Microsoft Print to PDF as the printer.
5. Choose the pages to include.
6. Click Print and save the new PDF under a different name.
7. Open the saved copy and check whether it still requests a password.

This method recreates the PDF rather than changing its security settings. It may discard bookmarks, links, forms, comments, layers, accessibility information, and digital signatures. It also will not work when the document’s permissions block printing. To remove password protection while retaining the original PDF structure, use PDFgear or Adobe Acrobat Pro.

• Remove PDF password protection for free with PDFgear

PDFgear is a free PDF editor for Windows that does not require an account or sign-in. Its password-removal feature processes the PDF locally without uploading it to a server. The browser-based and desktop workflows both operate locally, which provides better privacy and security for confidential documents.

1. Open the protected PDF in the PDFgear desktop app.
2. Enter the password to unlock the document.
3. Select Protect from the top toolbar, then choose Remove.
4. Click Yes to confirm that you want to remove the password protection.
5. Save the PDF.
6. Reopen the saved file and confirm that it no longer requires a password.

This is a convenient option for removing PDF password protection without Adobe Acrobat. PDFgear removes the password setting directly instead of printing or recreating every page. This allows the unlocked copy to retain the original PDF structure, including its page layout and supported document elements.

• Remove PDF security with Adobe Acrobat Pro

Adobe Acrobat Pro is the paid professional option for removing authorized open passwords and permissions restrictions while retaining the original PDF structure.

1. Open the protected PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro.
2. Enter the password required to open the document.
3. Select All tools > Protect a PDF.
4. Choose Remove Security. In older Acrobat versions, use Protect > Encrypt > Remove Security.
5. Save the unlocked PDF under a new name.
6. Reopen the copy and verify its security settings.

The free Adobe Acrobat Reader can open a protected PDF when you know the password, but it cannot remove the password or change the document’s security settings. This function requires Adobe Acrobat Pro.

If you have forgotten the password, request it or an unlocked copy from the document owner. These methods remove known passwords from PDFs you are authorized to modify; they do not recover or bypass an unknown password.