If you want to make a PDF password protect, this is an option to do it in almost every software solution that works with PDF format. The things get much harder when you have a need to remove a password from a file, especially if you forget or do not know it. How you can deal with these things?
PDF Password Protect
The most popular solution for PDF file processing is Adobe Acrobat, and other software often copies its approach to different PDF-related things. In Adobe Acrobat, you can set up the PDF password with a simple sequence of actions:
- Open a PDF file that you need to protect.
- Open the main menu and choose Tools > Protect > Encrypt > Encrypt with Password.
- Click "Yes" onto the prompt if you have received one.
These are the two general types of PDF passwords:
- A password to open a document.
- A password that allows changing permissions.
Select the type of password that you want to use for this PDF file, and enter a password string. Then click OK. Do not forget your password, or else you will have some troubles trying to remove this password from a document!
Don't forget that you can also create a ZIP File Password.
Unwanted PDF Password: Remove
To clear a file in a PDF format from a password, you can use two approaches. The first is when you know a password; just open a document and remove a password from this PDF file. The second way is for forgotten or unwanted passwords; it requires some software that removes a password by force.
Note: For some implementations, this action can be strictly unlawful, up to a direct felony! Always have in mind that you may remove passwords only from these documents that are under your right to change, open, view, read, modify or, especially, to use the content of these documents!
How to Make PDF Password Remove?
Download some utility to do it, and follow the instructions. The simplest approach will just remove a protection from a selected file in PDF format.
Keeping PDF Password Secure
PDF files are rarely contains the information of a biggest security level. Therefore, if you need to protect your PDF document with a password, please take some additional measures to help you remembering a password later.
- Write passwords for important PDF files somewhere in your vicinity (e.g., in a notebook).
- Use the same basic password for all PDFs you are creating.
- Vary this basic password with a simple code that you are capable to decrypt.
An example: Use a combination of special symbols on the upper row of a keyboard ("@", "&" etc.), to mark a day and a month of creation of a particular PDF file (e.g. ")$@%" for April, 25). Add this string to the beginning of a password. You can decrypt a "secret" part of a password later by viewing a file date.
If you are working constantly with PDF, always have some PDF password remove tool at hand, because you may have a regular need for it, and sometimes, it can literally save a situation.
See also: Excel Password Recovery and Protect