How to Convert Password Protected PDF Files to Word

By Ray Dallas

A few keystrokes, and the .pdf file can be a .doc or .docx file.
i keyboard image by Fyerne from Fotolia.com

A PDF is a file created with an Adobe Acrobat plug-in, and the format is meant to ensure that a file remains unaltered and appears roughly the same on screen as on paper, according to the website FileInfo. By converting a PDF file to a Word document you are undoing that work, in a sense, and making the document mutable once again. There are several free online applications that allow you to make this conversion, but in order to convert a password-protected PDF you will also need to know the PDF's password and use a password-removal program.

Removing the Password

Step 1

Navigate to a PDF password-removal site, or download free PDF password-removal software if you do not already have such software installed. There are many of these sites available, and they all work in a similar way. Some prominent examples include PDF PasswordRemover.net, Easy PDF Password Remover, and FreeWare PDF unlocker (see links in "Resources").

Step 2

Upload the PDF to the site or the program by pressing the "Upload" or "Add" button on the site or program. This will open a window allowing you to browse the hard drive and select the PDF.

Step 3

Enter the PDF password. You have to know the password in order to remove it.

Step 4

Press the "OK" or "Convert" button. The program should output an unprotected PDF.

Converting to Word

Step 1

Navigate the browser to a PDF-to-Word document-conversion site. There are several such sites, including Convert PDFtoWord.net, PDF Online, and PDFtoWord.com (see links in "Resources"). These sites all have essentially the same functionality and controls.

Step 2

Upload the file to the site using the "Choose File" button.

Step 3

Press the "Convert and Download" button. The site will then convert the file to a Word document and send it directly to your hard drive.

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