How to delete password from pdf on Windows as it is password protected?

To remove password protection from a PDF on Windows, use PDFgear or Adobe Acrobat Pro to remove its password security and save an unlocked copy. You must have the required password and permission to change the document. Entering a password to open the PDF does not permanently remove its protection.

Check which password the document uses:

• Opening password: required before you can view the pages.
• Permissions password: restricts actions such as editing or printing. A PDF may open successfully but still require this separate password to change its security settings.

Built-in method: create an unprotected copy with Microsoft Print to PDF

If you only need a readable copy of a simple document, Microsoft Edge and Microsoft Print to PDF can help. This works after you open the PDF with its password, provided printing is allowed.

1. Open the protected PDF in Microsoft Edge.
2. Enter the opening password.
3. Press Ctrl + P and choose Microsoft Print to PDF.
4. Select all pages and click Print.
5. Save with a new filename, then reopen the copy to check it.

This produces a new PDF from the printed pages. It can flatten form fields and omit bookmarks, links, or other interactive content. For a document whose original structure matters, use a password-removal tool instead.

Online tool: remove the password with PDFgear

PDFgear lets you remove a password from a PDF online without an account or sign-in. Although you access it through a website, this particular tool processes the PDF locally in your browser without uploading the document to a server.

1. Open PDFgear’s Unlock PDF webpage.
2. Click Select PDF File and choose the protected document.
3. Enter the password when prompted.
4. Click Unlock.
5. Click Download File to save the unlocked PDF.

This lets you unlock a PDF for free without installing an application, making it convenient for a one-off task. If you want to work offline or continue working on the document in the same application, use the desktop version.

• Desktop apps: remove PDF password protection on Windows

PDFgear: free removal while retaining the PDF structure

PDFgear is a free desktop editor that lets you remove a PDF password without Adobe, with no account registration required. You can remove PDF password protection offline, keeping the document on your computer throughout the process. It removes protection from the existing PDF, allowing its original structure and page formatting to be retained.

1. Open the protected PDF in PDFgear.
2. Enter the password to unlock the document.
3. In the top toolbar, select Protect > Remove.
4. Click Yes to confirm removal of password protection.
5. Save the file, preferably as a separate copy.

The saved copy should now open without asking for the removed password. Unlike printing, this workflow does not rebuild the document from its printable pages.

Adobe Acrobat Pro: remove security in an existing Adobe workflow

If you already subscribe to Acrobat Pro, you can remove password security directly and inspect the document’s remaining restrictions. Free Acrobat Reader can open protected PDFs with the correct password, but it does not include Acrobat Pro’s Remove Security feature.

1. Open the protected PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro and enter its opening password.
2. Select All tools > Protect a PDF > Remove security. In older versions, use Protect > Encrypt > Remove Security.
3. Enter the permissions password if requested, then click OK to confirm.
4. Save the unlocked PDF under a new name.
5. Reopen the copy and check its security settings.

Close and reopen the saved copy. If you removed an opening password, the PDF should open without a prompt. If you removed permission restrictions, check that the intended actions, such as editing or printing, are now available.

If you do not know the opening password, these workflows cannot decrypt the file for you.