Trying to open a secured PDF without the password

[rosemaryb63480349]

Several years ago I scanned a group of files and secured the PDF - I thought I used my usual password but it doesn't open up this one file.  I have tried several methods suggested online but nothing works. 

Does anyone know how to unlock my PDF?  Thank you

[ls_rbls]

If you don't have the password to unlock that document is not possible to modify anything that the set restrictions won't allow.

When this happens, your're better off flattening the file (if such restrictions allow you to save as a postscript file , of course) and recreate the PDF from scratch. The Acrobat Distiller won't work  if these restrictions doesn't allow to save as postcript or as image. Printing to PDF may be the only available option which is basically a clean flat PDF layer of the whole PDF with no field objects.

If that doesn't work , then you're probably have to try and print the file as image, then open it in Acrobat to convert to PDF which ultimately brings you back to recreating the form fields and PDF content from scratch as well.

[Bernd Alheit]

What kind of security? An open password?

[rosemaryb63480349]

Yes, a password only.

[Private info removed by moderator]

[try67]

No Adobe application will allow you to open the file, and the password can't be recovered, either.

[Asher@]

You can open a secured PDF without the password with Adobe and many other programs. The only way you can open those files is to unlock the PDFs, meaning to crack the passwords you set years ago with some tools. If you google it, you may find some tools that can help you with that.

[miraclecow123]

what tool can use to crack the password of the pdf?