How to take off or deactivate password in pdf on Windows 11?

If you have Acrobat Pro (or are willing to start a free trial), here's how you'd go about how to take a password off a PDF:

Step 1: Open the password-protected PDF in Acrobat Pro and enter the password when prompted

Step 2: Go to Tools > Protect > Encrypt > Remove Security

Step 3: If the file has a permissions password, enter it when asked

Step 4: Save the file—the password is now gone

Before removing any password protection from a PDF, make sure you have the legal right to do so. If the document belongs to someone else or contains copyrighted material.

So to sum it up for how to take a password off a PDF on Windows 11: the free Adobe Acrobat Reader can't do it directly, but you can use the "Acrobat Pro" trick to create an unlocked copy if you already know the password. That method is completely free, works instantly, and keeps everything on your computer—no uploading sensitive documents to sketchy websites.