How to edit a password protected pdf on my Windows PC?

To edit a password-protected PDF on Windows, choose whether you want to keep the password after editing or remove the password and edit.

A free app to edit a password-protected PDF on Windows

PDFgear is a free Windows desktop tool that can edit a password-protected PDF after you enter the current password.

To edit the PDF and keep its password protection:

1. Open the PDF in PDFgear.
2. Enter the current password when prompted.
3. Go to the Edit tab to update the text or objects.
4. Save the document without changing its password or protection settings.

This method is best when you need to make changes but still want the PDF to be password-protected.

To remove the password before editing:

1. Open the PDF in PDFgear.
2. Enter the current password when prompted.
3. Go to the Protect tab > Choose Remove and click Yes.
4. Then go to the Edit tab to update the text or objects.
5. Save the document.

This method will unlock the PDF. Remove password protection only when you own the file or have authorization from its owner.

Use Adobe Acrobat Pro for advanced PDF editing and password removal

If you need more advanced PDF editing and security controls, Adobe Acrobat Pro is a paid professional solution.

1. Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro and enter the current password.
2. Go to the Edit tab and edit the PDF.
3. If you also need to remove the password, right-click and select Document Properties > Security > set the Security Method to No security.
4. Save the edited document.

If you do not know the password, ask the document owner or sender for an editable copy.

Only remove a password when you own the document or have permission from its owner. For related guidance, see this discussion. The linked discussion uses macOS, so its exact menu steps are different on Windows. However, the general workflow is the same.