How to unlock a secured/protected PDF file so you can copy and paste or print from it

Option 1 : Ghostscript

Download portable Ghostscript from PortableApps.com :

• http://portableapps.com/apps/utilities/ghostscript_portable
  • This will take you to a download page at sourceforge (I know it looks like a direct link, but this is sourceforge–it’s a webpage with a .exe name)
    • http://downloads.sourceforge.net/portableapps/GhostscriptPortable_9.19.paf.exe
      • Another name for the same download page:
        • https://sourceforge.net/projects/portableapps/files/Ghostscript%20Portable/GhostscriptPortable_9.19.paf.exe
• If that doesnt work, here’s the download URL direct to the file:
  • http://iweb.dl.sourceforge.net/project/portableapps/Ghostscript%20Portable/GhostscriptPortable_9.19.paf.exe

Install Ghostscript.

• NOTE: it does not really “install”. It just writes files to a particular folder.
• TAKE NOTE OF THE FOLDER! You may also change its location and name if you like.
• We will enter this foldername later.

Start the Windows program Notepad

Copy and paste the following text

• You will have to CHANGE the names of the input and output files after you paste into Notepad.
• (You might have to scroll right to see/get/copy all of this)

  gswin32c -dNOPAUSE -sDEVICE=pdfwrite -sOutputFile="OUTPUT PDF" "INPUT PDF"
  pause
      

• INPUT PDF – this is the full path name to the file you want to unlock by converting
• OUTPUT PDF – this is the full path name to the new file you want to create (the filename should not exist yet–but the folder should)
• Example 1 of possible INPUT and OUTPUT PDF files:
  • INPUT: C:\users\johndoe\Downloads\some_file.pdf
  • OUTPUT: C:\users\johndoe\Downloads\some_file_unlocked.pdf
• Example 2 possible of INPUT and OUTPUT PDF files:
  • INPUT: "C:\users\johndoe\Desktop\another file.pdf"
  • OUTPUT: "C:\users\johndoe\Desktop\another file unlocked.pdf"
• If the folder path or file name contains spaces, the filename must be in “double quotes” (otherwise the quotes are optional)

Save the file as convert_pdf.bat in the bin sub-folder within the folder where you “installed” Ghostscript

• Example save location: C:\user\johndoe\Downloads\CommonFiles\Ghostscript\bin\

Navigate to that bin sub-folder and double-click convert_pdf.bat to run it.

• It should create an unlocked version of your file for you.

Option 2 : Upload to google drive (docs)

Then cut-n-paste from within google drive.

Option 3 : Upload to free zoho docs.

Then cut-n-paste from within zoho docs.