How do I extract pages from a Secured PDF file

[yossi3321]

How do I extract pages from a Secured PDF file?

[Test Screen Name · Accepted solution]

1. Obtain the password.

2. Go to File > Properties.

3. Under Security, change method to None - enter password when requested.

4. Save AS the file as a new name.

5. Extract the pages.

[Test Screen Name · Accepted solution]

1. Obtain the password.

2. Go to File > Properties.

3. Under Security, change method to None - enter password when requested.

4. Save AS the file as a new name.

5. Extract the pages.

[Test Screen Name]

By the way, I believe certain secured files might allow you to delete pages. Try that. If so, you can make cut down, still secure, extracted files. With care.

[yossi3321]

Thank you but I don't have the password and it doesn't allow me to delete is there any other way out?

[Test Screen Name]

Adobe would call that hacking, and don't allow discussion of it in this forum. You should contact the copyright holder and see if they are prepared to release the password, or an unsecured document, to you. If it's something made for you like a bank statement you should tell the bank how inconvenient their choices are.

[yossi3321]

Ok thank you so much I really appreciate it

[ckiedrowski]

Here is a solution:

If you need to delete a page from a document, just do "Print" and then "Save As PDF" (depending on your platform). You should be able to remove any pages like that and have an "unsecured" PDF document where you can delete and rearrange as needed.

[gkaiseril]

The above assumes that printing of the PDF is allowed. Note, you will also degrade the quality of the PDF.

[ckiedrowski]

^^^^ This is true. Some degradation of the PDF is inevitable when you "take it out" of Adobe Acrobat via the Print/Save As PDF method.

[try67]

You will also lost any comments, form fields, links, metadata, bookmarks, scripts, etc. that were present in the original file.

[gdstuart]

That seemed to be a very creative solution, but all I get is a log file with errors.  No PDF is created.  Here's the log file:

%%[ ProductName: Distiller ]%%

This PostScript file was created from an encrypted PDF file.

Redistilling encrypted PDF is not permitted.

%%[ Flushing: rest of job (to end-of-file) will be ignored ]%%

%%[ Warning: PostScript error. No PDF file produced. ] %%

[try67]

Good. It should not allow you to do that.

[gdstuart]

Weeeelllll, that may be a "good" thing from the Adobe perspective, but let me relate my issue....

A vendor has created a secured doc that I want to send to my wife (who has a fast laser printer in her office) to print for me.  But I don't want to waste her time and printer ink on all the fancy pictures in the brochure, so I tried a Print to PDF operation to save only the pages with the text into a new PDF.  That's where the errors occur.  Is there any way to get this done short of send the whole PDF to her and saying, "Please print only pages, 5 and 6, 12 thru 19, 22,26 thru 35,:  etc. etc.  She will not be pleased with this solution.  I'd rather send her a whole doc that does not contain the pics so she can just print it in its entirety.

[try67]

Yes, that's the only solution, and I don't see what the big deal is. You just need to write down the page numbers and ask her to paste that string into the Pages field in the Print dialog, and that's it.

[gkaiseril]

Depending on what security restrictions have been applied, you may be able to extract pages if this is allowed into a new PDF and then send that new PDF to your wife. I "extraction" or "assembly" is not allowed, you will need the password to remove the security restriction. This will mean you need to get the password from your vendor.

[try67]

I don't think that any security policy that limits the file from being edited allows for the extraction of pages.

[Test Screen Name · Accepted solution]

Yes, really. It's a good thing. PDF security exists. Adobe let you put it on. Adobe let you take it off with the password. Adobe DON'T let you remove it just because it's inconvenient. That's not really how security works. You should understand where your issue lies: with the person who chose to add security and deliberately stop you doing that stuff.