Mass unprotect PDF files

[a.k47]

Hello,

Does anyone knows how to mass unprotect PDF files with passwords? I have around 20000 files to unprotect and I only knows how to do it one by one.

Please help. SOS!

Thanks 🙂

[creative explorer]

@a.k47  you can create an action to remove passwords from multiple PDFs but requires some Javascripting knowledge

[try67]

You can't do it with a script.

[try67]

Do all of these files have the same password?

[a.k47]

most of it yes, they have the same password. some others have different password, but mostly same word just capitalized/small letters. Eg: cool or COOL

[try67]

It used to be possible to do it using the Action Wizard, but I'm not sure that's the case any longer. And of course the passwords all have to be the same. "cool" and "COOL" are not the same thing...

[a.k47]

can u give me the step to use action wizard ? i think the password will be different by folders as in password for the files in the same folder are the same.

[try67]

The trick was to use an Action that was created in older versions of Acrobat, as the new version doesn't have this option. I will need to see if I can find it in my archives, or online...

The other option is to do it using a stand-alone tool, which is much more robust and faster than an Action in Acrobat.

[try67]

I doubt you will be able to process 20K files anyway. You will have to do it in many batches. From my experience, trying to run an Action on more than 500 files is problematic, as Acrobat freezes or crashes halfway through.

[try67 · Accepted solution]

Attached is the action. Rename it from .txt to .sequ after downloading, and then double-click it to import it into Acrobat.

Before running it, though, you must first go to Edit (or Menu, if you have the new UI) > Preferences > Action Wizard and change the Security Method (for Actions created with Acrobat X or earlier) to Password Security. When you run the sequence, Acrobat asks for a password. Enter the password for these files. When that is entered, the batch continues, and removes the password from all the files that match the password you entered.

[a.k47]

Thank you! I will be trying this method soon

[a.k47]

Hi again! I have managed to follow your suggestion and it works! Thank you so much 🙂