How to open password protected PDF without password on Windows 11?

[Amanda_Lemon]

Hi everyone,

I'm reaching out to the community for some assistance with a PDF issue I'm facing. I have a PDF document that is password protected, and unfortunately, I no longer have the password. I'm looking for a way to access this document without the password.

Here's what I've tried so far:

• Checking if I've saved the password somewhere securely.
• Contacting the original sender of the PDF for the password (no luck there).
• Searching for basic software solutions that might help with this.

My questions is: Are there any reliable tools or methods that can help in this situation without compromising the integrity of the document?

I'd appreciate any guidance or advice the community can offer. Thanks in advance for your help!

[#2]

@Steve1740  This does not work. When I imported the PDF file into Google Docs, it still asks me for password before I could see the content.

[#3]

That's not possible natively with Windows. You need to manage the password for that PDF somehow to get access to its data.

[#4]

Ditto to the person who said essentially "not going to happen".....No PW = No access.....If you cannot get the PW then the file is completely finished and not going to be able to be open/accessed/used.

[#5]

If you forgot the PDF password, the only way is to recover the password with third-party data recovery software. The chance is pretty high for weak to medium password combinations. Below is the a very helpful tutorial for this purpose:

https://www.uumeo.com/recover-pdf-password

P.S. I managed to recover a complex password after running this program for only three hours.

[#6]

@Amanda_Lemon  Opening a password-protected PDF without the password on Windows 11 can be a challenging task, especially if the password has been forgotten. However, one of the simplest and most accessible methods involves using Google Drive. Google Drive provides a secure platform to manage and modify PDF files. This method leverages the capabilities of Google Drive to remove the password protection, allowing you to access and save the PDF without any restrictions.

How to open password protected PDF with Google Drive:

1. Upload the password-protected PDF to your Google Drive.
2. Open the PDF within Google Drive. You will be prompted to enter the password.
3. After entering the password, click on the print icon in the top-right corner of the Google Drive PDF viewer or press Ctrl + P on your keyboard.
4. Click the "Save" button and choose the location on your computer where you want to save the new PDF file.
5. The PDF will be saved without the password protection.

[#7]

If you are going to open a password-protected PDF without the password using Google Drive. Please note, uploading sensitive documents to Google Drive means they’re on a cloud platform. If the PDF has personal or confidential info, you might not want to risk it getting stored online, even temporarily.

[#8]

@Amanda_Lemon   Adobe Acrobat Pro provides a straightforward way to remove the password protection from a PDF file, provided you know the password. This method allows you to access and save the PDF without any restrictions, making it easier to manage and share.

To open password protected PDF without password via Adobe Acrobat Pro, launch Adobe Acrobat Pro on your Windows 11 computer. Click on "File" in the top menu bar. Select "Open" from the dropdown menu. Navigate to the location of the password-protected PDF file on your computer and select it to open.

Once the PDF is open, go to "File" in the top menu bar again. Select "Properties" from the dropdown menu. In the Document Properties window, click on the "Security" tab. Under the "Security Method" dropdown, select "No Security." Click "OK" to apply the changes.

[#9]

Using Adobe Acrobat Pro to remove or open password-protection PDF is super straightforward if you know the password, but if you don't, it's a whole different story. Adobe Acrobat Pro won't give you any special access or magic tricks to bypass the password.

[#10]

@Amanda_Lemon 

Using Adobe Acrobat Pro to unlock a PDF file is a very practical way, especially when you legally own the document but unfortunately forget PDF password. Adobe Acrobat Pro is a very professional PDF editing and management software launched by Adobe. It not only supports editing and creating PDFs, but also has strong security features, such as adding and removing PDF password protection.

If you have already installed Adobe Acrobat Pro, you can try the following steps to open password protected PDF without password.

1. Open the file: First, open your PDF file in Adobe Acrobat Pro. If the file is encrypted, the software will usually prompt you to enter the password. Since you forgot the password, we can try other steps.
2. Find the protection tool: Find the "Protect" tool in the toolbar, which has various options for document security. Select "Encrypt" and then select "Remove Security".
3. Unlock PDF: If the PDF is set with a "permission password" (that is, a password that allows you to view the content but restricts certain operations such as printing or modifying), and you have permission to open the file, Acrobat may allow you to remove the password protection directly. Then, you can freely access and edit the file.

It is worth noting that if the file is encrypted with an "open password" (that is, a password is required to view the content), and you forget the password, Adobe Acrobat Pro may not be able to help you. Adobe does not support unlocking files without knowing the password for security and copyright protection reasons.

[#11]

@Amanda_Lemon 

Using online services to open password protected PDF files is a convenient and quick way, especially when you don't have professional PDF editing software installed. Many online platforms such as Smaillpdf, ILovesPDF, etc. provide free or paid PDF unlocking services. The operation is simple and usually only requires a few steps:

1. Upload the file: You just need to visit the website of these services and upload the password-protected PDF file.
2. Unlocking process: After uploading, the website will try to remove the password protection of the file. This process usually takes a few seconds to a few minutes.
3. Download the file: Once the unlocking is successful, you can directly download the password-free PDF file.

I myself have used Smaillpdf to handle some urgent work files because I didn't have any professional PDF software installed at the time and needed to process some documents urgently. The experience is quite good, the operation is simple, and the speed is fast. However, although it is convenient, you should also consider the security of the file when using online services to unlock PDFs. 

[#12]

It’s not too easy to open a protected PDF, but you can try any of the methods I have mentioned below
Via Google Chrome: Open PDF in Chrome, print, and save it as PDF
Online Tools: Some tools available online are also trustworthy and you can try them, they can be of great help to you.
Using Adobe Acrobat (if you have the password saved in your keychain or another location)
If you've ever opened the PDF before and saved the password in a browser or password manager, Adobe Acrobat might be able to retrieve it.

[#13]

@TylerWallace I read your response about uploading the .pdf to Google Drive but got lost when you wrote that I would be prompted to enter my password, and then enter it.  The problem that started this is that I don't know the password, cannot find anything that says "forgot password," yet have 3 files that are locked by MS Edge requiring a password, which I do not have.

[#14]

@RonW1220 

Without the PW you are SOL and will not be able open the PDF file…….So either find the PW or contact the person that created the document and get it or you are done.