How to Unlock PDF for Copying – Remove Copy Paste Protection from PDF Files

Summary: In this article, we are going to discuss the user query which is – How to unlock PDF copying? If you are looking for the same, then you can go through the step-by-step guide to learn multiple ways to execute the same task. 

User Query:

“Can anyone tell me how to remove copy and paste security in Adobe PDF or how to unlock PDF for copying? I have downloaded several PDF files online and need to prepare a final note. Unfortunately, all the files are copy-protected or restricted, which means I am unable to copy anything from those files. It is not possible for me to manually type all the data from those files. Therefore, I decided to unlock PDF copy restriction to access my content. Please suggest any solution for the same.”

“I am a Mac OS user, and my task revolves around PDF file data. Some days ago, I came across some old business reports that I had to upload on our official site. But those files are copy-protected PDF files. Since these files were created by old employees, the passwords are not retrievable. Can anyone tell me how to remove copy protection from PDF documents on a Mac? If you know, kindly tell me.”

In any document processing, copying plays an important role. The same thing applies to PDF files, which is a popular format for document management. PDF file users often need to copy the text/data from PDF files and move to other places. However, the problem arises when the owner of the PDF file restricts the copying action and the users are unable to copy from PDF. Do not worry, as we will introduce some reliable solutions to this problem. Read on to learn how to unlock copy-paste in PDF without a password.

Primary Reasons to Unlock PDF Copy Restriction

There can be multiple reasons to unlock PDF for copying, we have discussed some of the most prominent ones in the following points:

• Unlocking a PDF document improves user accessibility for various purposes such as study and research, academics, etc. as users might require access to copying its text or images. 
• For the purpose of archiving important document files, it is necessary to have them in editable format in order to ensure easy retrieval and long-term storage. 
• While working together as a team on certain projects, the members need to extract certain content from PDFs to integrate it into other documents or presentations. 
• To follow certain legal compliances or professional workflows, users have to modify or manipulate its content and thus need to unlock PDF copy restriction.

How to Remove Copy Protection from PDF Documents?

Users can choose from manual and automated methods to perform the task. Here, we will describe both so that users can choose as per their needs.

Unlock PDF for Copying with Adobe Acrobat Pro

If you are a subscriber of Adobe Acrobat Pro, then you can use this manual technique by following these simple steps:

1. Open the PDF file with copy restriction with Adobe Acrobat Pro.
2. On the top left corner, click on the Lock icon.
3. Select “Permission Details” and in the “Security Methods” menu, choose “No Security”.
4. Enter the Permission password and after that restrictions will be removed.
5. Now save the file at any desired location.

The biggest disadvantage of this method is that the users need to know the permission password.

Remove PDF Copy Protection by Copying Text with Google Chrome 

Users can also directly remove the copy restriction from their PDF documents by copying the text they require directly from Google Chrome. But, you can use this method only if the PDF is not restricted from printing, so let’s move on to the step-by-step method. 

1. Right-click on the particular PDF file in your system and in the “Open With” menu select “Google Chrome”. 
2. Now, click on the “Print” icon at the top right corner and select the “Save as PDF” option in “Destination”. 
3. Next, click on the “Save” button, after this, you can easily copy text from the saved PDF file. 

The primary disadvantage of this method is that users need to repeat this process repeatedly for each and every PDF and hence will be very time-consuming to remove PDF copy protection if you have a large volume of PDF files. 

Best Alternative Solution to Remove Copy Protection from PDF

In case you do not know the password used to set up the copy restriction, go for SysTools PDF Password Unlocker Software. This application can easily remove all types of restrictions, including copy restrictions. It does not require you to enter the password.

So, this is a program that does not need a password for restriction removal. If you are a newbie with little or no technical experience, you can use this software. It includes an interactive user interface that does not require technical knowledge. Any technical or non-technical user can easily remove copy protection from PDF file using this software.

Working Steps of This Software to Unlock PDF for Copying

Step 1. Launch the software to unlock copy and paste in PDF on Windows & Mac.

Step 2. Select and add a PDF file.

Step 3. The tool will load the file and display the available permission status.

Step 4. Choose the location to save the file and click on Unlock.

Step 5. The file will be unlocked and the current restriction status will be displayed.

So you can see that in five short steps, you can remove copy-paste protection from PDF files from copying, printing, editing, etc., restrictions. Now let us know why you should choose this software for restriction removal.

Top Features of the Software

• Remove All Restrictions – This tool can remove any type of restriction enabled in a PDF file including copy, print, editing, signature, form fill-up, comment, and extraction.
• Password not Required – This robust software can unlock PDF for copying without asking for the restricted password. This is helpful when you forget the owner level or permission password.
• Cost-Effective Software – This application is available at an affordable rate. It is available in three different licenses.
• Batch PDF File Unlocker – If you purchase the Business or Enterprise license, you can unlock multiple PDF files in a batch.
• Preview Permission Status – Before and after unlocking, the tool will display the current status of all the permissions.
• Data Integrity Retention – While removing restrictions, the data integrity of the PDF files is completely maintained.

Final Words

If you are looking for trusted methods to unlock PDF for copying text, this is the right blog for you. Here some commonly used methods have been discussed that allow you to copy-paste text from locked PDF documents. The manual technique requires the original permission password, which is often unavailable. Therefore, you should use the professional software described in the blog. This application can efficiently unlock copy and paste in PDF along with printing, editing, commenting, signing, etc., without asking for a permission password.

Frequently Asked Questions