How can I add password to PDF for protection from Windows 11?

If you’re looking to password protect PDF on Windows computer without shelling out any cash, I’ve got a couple of solid methods for you. I’ve done this a few times when I needed to share files but wanted to keep things secure. Here’s what I found works best:

Method 1: Using Microsoft Print to PDF

• Open Your PDF: First, fire up the PDF file you want to protect in a program like Adobe Reader or even in your web browser.
• Print to PDF: Hit the print option (usually Ctrl + P), and select Microsoft Print to PDF as your printer. It’ll create a new PDF file on your computer.
• Set Up Password: Here’s the catch—this method doesn’t let you set a password while saving directly, but you can then use free PDF tools like PDF24 or Sma11pdf online to add a password to your new PDF.

Method 2: Using Free PDF Software
If you want a straightforward way to password protect PDF from the get-go, you might want to try a free tool like PDF24 Creator or pdfforge (CutePDF is another alternative). Here's how I did it with PDF24:

• Download PDF24 Creator: Go to their website and download the software. Installation is quick and easy—just a few clicks.
• Open PDF24: Once installed, open the program, and you’ll see options for creating and editing PDFs.
• Drag Your PDF In: Just drag the PDF you want to protect into the PDF24 window.
• Set the Password: Look for the “Protect PDF” option. You can set a password here, and it’ll even let you specify if you want to restrict editing or printing.
• Save the New PDF: After you’ve set your password, click to save the new PDF. Voilà! Just like that, your document is password protected.