Permissions Password on Adobe Acrobat Pro - I never set one??

Report · Jan 14, 2018

I downloaded a PDF from my bank. I can open the PDF just fine. But if I try to edit the PDF - add or remove a page, for example - it demands a Permissions Password. I've tried every password I have to no avail.

I have Adobe Acrobat X Pro and have never encountered this issue before. The bank swears they did not set a password on their end. Some documents from their site are "secured" with this Permission Password, and others are not.

I uninstalled and reinstalled Acrobat, and it never presented me with any options for any kind of password.

Any ideas?

Report · Jan 14, 2018

Yes. If you're seeing the same thing in Reader then the file has been password protected before it arrived to you.

There's nothing you can do about it if you don't know the password.

View solution in original post

Report · Feb 21, 2024

Hi I have found a way of editing the pdf files, if you use the Convert tab and save this pdf file to Microsoft Word it will open up in Word. Caution, once opened check the signatures, they should be okay if the person has used their exact signature, but if they have used an alternitive this can change the font to Arial italic, just save again as pdf and this version can be edited. A bit long winded but better than printing out and scanning back in.

Report · Nov 28, 2022

What if I own the original document (a drafting file that I personally created, no one else has ever touched it) and when I try to export to a pdf, it's locked? What do I do then? I didn't set a password.

Report · Nov 28, 2022

How does you export to PDF? What app does you use?

Report · Jan 28, 2020

I had the same thing happening to me and my manager had no clue there was a thing, she probably wasn't the one to set the password there in the first place. So I totally understand not everyone knows the password to edit your document.

One way around it which works for me to remove the password is: to export the pdf to Microsoft word and save. Then in the Word doc settings is to save to Adobe PDF and remember to save the new pdf that should have the password removed. A bit of work but that gets the job done so it's worth it for me. The document is for my personal use and ease of access so I thought why not make my life a bit easier without typing the password EVERY single time to view it.

Just wanted to share how I managed to remove the password to view the doc.

Report · Sep 13, 2020

Here is a solution I found

1. Print

2. Select Printer : Microsoft Print to PDF

3. Print (Save as)

Report · Dec 23, 2020

Unfortunately, with the newest update to the Mac System, Big Sur 11.1, and Acrobat Pro DC, this work-around no longer works for me. Adobe disenables that function in the print dialog of the computer. This is very real and problematic issue. I had files I could open just fine and modify, and save as with the changes. They weren't marked as "secure". Now they are marked as "secure", and I can't print sometimes, and can't save at all. Noone else has had access to my files. The only thing that changed was that they are were imported through iCloud from my old laptop, and now they are on the new Mac. All my Adobe docs now say "secured" when they did not before, and I never set a password in the first place or subsequently, but I can't make any changes, even to the ones that are 4 years old.

Anyone at Adobe able to help me out here? You have improved your security so much, you have disenabled functionality for the end user. This is very frustrating, beyond words.

Report · Dec 24, 2020

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Acrobate du PDF, InDesigner et Photoshopographe

Report · Nov 15, 2021

Nooooo Not only did I not set up any password. The original document has been edited by me several times over several years. I have been told that because I signed it that an invisible unknown password was created. Does that answer make sense to anyone? I opened up my Acrobat and every single document is password protected by a password I have no idea what it is how to remove it or even change it. Lucky I had the very first version long before I began editing and turned it into a pDF in an email otherwise I would be totally screwed. Maybe if we all compalin they will fix this insanity.

Report · Nov 16, 2021

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out and sorry about the trouble.

As you have mentioned above, the PDF is protected with a password on its own.

Could you please share the screenshot of the password window that appears when you try to open the PDF?

Did you check if the issue occurred with this particular PDF or with other PDFs too?

Share the Acrobat and OS version currently in use. It would be helpful if you can share any sample PDF with us so we can check it on our end. It will help us to investigate this issue further.

Let us know if you have any questions or need any help.

Thanks,

Meenakshi

Report · Nov 29, 2022

Signing doesn't set a password, but it does (optionally, your choice) block editing. The idea is that digital signatures are final, and since editing destroys the signature, you want to lock it to preserve the signature.

Report · Jun 15, 2023

Yes, open the pdf in chrome. Then click print and "Save to pdf". The new pdf will be editable.

Report · Jan 13, 2024

I have the same problem with my Chase Bank Statements. One thing I found that works in Adobe Acrobat XI Pro is to open the file in Acrobat and before making any alterations do a Save As TIFF. This will create a TIFF image of each page. Combine all the TIFF images creating a new Acrobat pdf file that can be modified.

Good Luck.