How to Convert Password Protected PDF Files to Word
By Ray Dallas
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.
References
Warnings
- No PDF-conversion program can be expected to produce perfect results, as they use algorithms to recognize patterns and roughly "guess" what the text in the document might be. The more pictures and graphics included in the PDF, the more difficult conversions is. Also, PDF files created from images (such as a scan of a document) rather than from Word files may be impossible to convert into Word.
Writer Bio
Ray Dallas graduated with majors in journalism and English. While in Florida, he wrote freelance articles for "The Alligator" and was the copy editor and a writer for "Orange & Blue." Since moving to California, Dallas has worked as a script reader and for a talent manager, as well as taking numerous industry odd jobs.