How do I prevent Acrobat DC from locking my PDFs automatically when I redact them?

[PDF Redacter]

Even when I make a copy of an original PDF, move it a separate folder and redact that one, DC will lock the redacted PDF, the copy, AND the original. What's worse is it does it automatically and then asks for a password I never set and don't have. And because the original is locked, I can't use its redaction program to omit sensitive data. I've been using this program for two days now, but I can't find a solution in any of the FAQs and even Adobe's tech agents are unfamilar with the issue. Is it connected to the "enhanced security" feature? Normally, you're supposed to manually protect a PDF using the "Protect" program in DC, and there you can set a password for a document. But DC is just unilaterally doing it and asking me for a password I didn't set.

Anyone else have this issue?

[Bernd Alheit]

What version of Adobe Acrobat DC? How does you redact the document?

[PDF Redacter]

Hello Bernd,

This is the version I'm working with:

Version: 21.11.20039.0
Creation Date: 2021/12/24

I redact documents by clicking on the redact option on the right hand side (I had to install the app through DC's menu first) then I use the drop down menu at the top of the screen under "Redact text and images" and select what I want to redact via "search for text" option. It will then ask me where should it start looking and I specify a folder I made specifically for redacting--containing copies of the original PDFs I'm working with. I then choose to redact the text I specify then I select the "sanitize document" option to remove metadata. If the redaction works as expected there's no issues, but sometimes it incorrect redacts and I'm unable to modify the DC's Redaction parameters as the PDF is locked. But the copy that the redacted version was created from is now locked meaning I can't redo a redaction, and somehow the original located in an entirely different folder also gets locked as well. I can't explain how this is happening as normally you have to select the "Protect" option before you can lock anything at all.

Thank you for your time.

[Bernd Alheit]

> (I had to install the app through DC's menu first)

What does you mean with this?

The redaction tool doesn't locks the file.

[PDF Redacter]

When you install this version on your PC, the redaction tool isn't available automatcally, you have to install it from the main menu. And yes you're correct, the redaction tool doesn't lock the file--but in my case it sometimes does which I do not think is by design. I wanted to know if there was a setting or option you may know of that I need to look into. Only the Protect option is supposed to lock a file, and you have to create a password for that file. The bug I'm running into password locks my PDFs without the Protect option being used at all.

[Bernd Alheit]

Sorry, I don't know why this happens for you.

[PDF Redacter]

I do appreciate you taking the time to help me, maybe I should uninstall the program and reinstall it. Be well.

[PDF Redacter · Accepted solution]

For anyone interested I got around the problem by not using the "sanitize" feature. Program works as expected now. Thank you Bernd for taking the time to help me.

[Angie298072650bc9]

Where do I find the Sanatize feature?