How to extract text from pdf on Windows? It is a scanned PDF

Let me explain both situations so you know exactly how to extract text from PDF using Edge on your Windows machine.

Situation 1: Standard PDFs

If you open a PDF and can already highlight the text with your mouse cursor, you're looking at a standard text‑based PDF. In this case, extracting text is extremely straightforward:

1. Open the PDF in Microsoft Edge (it's the default PDF viewer on Windows)

2. Select the text by clicking and dragging your mouse over the content you want

3. Copy the text using either:

• Right‑click and select "Copy" from the menu
• The keyboard shortcut Ctrl + C
• Paste it anywhere with Ctrl + V

Edge even provides a convenient mini‑menu that pops up when you select text, giving you quick access to copy, highlight, or add comments. It's fast, intuitive, and requires no extra software.

Situation 2: Scanned PDFs

This is where things get interesting when you learning how to extract text from PDF — and where Edge's hidden superpower comes into play. Scanned PDFs are essentially images of pages, not actual text. Normally, you can't select or copy anything from them. However, Microsoft has been testing a feature that solves exactly this problem.

The Experimental OCR Feature

Microsoft Edge is currently testing an "OCR for PDF" feature that integrates Windows 11's built‑in OCR engine directly into the browser's PDF reader. Here's what you need to know:

How to enable it:

1. Type edge //flags into Edge's address bar and press Enter

2. Search for msPdfWindowsOcrCoverage

3. Change the setting from "Default" to "Enabled"

4. Restart Microsoft Edge