Issue with PDF password security not working correctly

[lacom62]

I am trying to remove password security on PDFs and the password works to open the file, but not to turn off security. I keep getting a message saying that the password is incorrect.

[John T Smith]

Please post the name of the Adobe program you use so a Moderator may move this message to that forum

[Nancy OShea]

Open the protected document in a browser or word processor and Print to PDF.  Give it a new file name.  This will create a duplicate copy without password encryption.  No special software is required. 

[lacom62]

That didn't work. I tried Chrome and Pages. 

[Seluleko32757595fp1d]

It actually works. Convert it to microsoft word, then save it again as a pdf with a different name. It will work

[lacom62]

I'm using Adobe Acrobat Pro 9.5.5

[try67 · Accepted solution]

That's the correct behavior. You can't remove the edit password of a file if you only have its open password. That would make the former useless (as anyone who can open the file would be able to remove the policy that protects it), even more than it already is.

[Tom25676344bizu]

Wrong. If you have the password to open, that IS the password to end security.

[Bernd Alheit]

With the open password you can't remove the security.

[jane-e]

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@Tom25676344bizu wrote:

Wrong. If you have the password to open, that IS the password to end security.

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It's the opposite, Tom. If you have the Edit password, you can open the PDF and disable security.

Jane

[Tom25676344bizu]

I always am "foolish" and use the same security password and master password. 

You are assuming we all use the password for the same reasons. We don't.

When I send someone the document and have security on it for their own benefit then if they want to remove it that's their perogative.

But when I want to remove it for certain purposes and upload without security then I have that option available.

[Nancy OShea]

You've never worked with government agencies or court documents that are locked for security & legal reasons. 😉 

[try67]

Only if the author of the file was foolish enough to use the same password for both. Otherwise, it's the other way around. The file-edit password can be used to remove the file-open password, but not vice versa.