Password-Protected PDF Files

Power PDF and PDF Convert both respect security settings applied to PDF files. PDF files can be protected by passwords and security settings. Two of these settings are examined by the programs: Printing permitted or prohibited, and Copying Content permitted or prohibited.

 

Open password

This grants access to a file in accordance with its security settings.

 

Permissions password

This grants full access to a file regardless of its security settings.

 

Program behavior

If you try to open a protected PDF file, a dialog box will invite you to supply the necessary password. Enter this carefully because only one attempt is permitted.

The following table summarizes the program behavior when a protected PDF file should be converted and only the open password is given.

This information is equally true for 40-bit, 128-bit and 256-bit encryption.

 

PRINT
allow

COPY
allow

Message

Document conversion when only open password given

NO

NO

Permissions password necessary

Refused

NO

YES

Permissions password necessary

Refused

YES

NO

Permissions password recommended

The result, if any, contains image-only pages. See Note1.

YES

YES

Open password sufficient

Processed using content information: editable text is generated. See Note2.

 

Note1

Handling of image-only pages depends on the state of the Image-only pages selection box under Processing options in the Standard, Legal, Spreadsheet and Form panels. The selection box provides the following choices: Convert Page with OCR / Skip / Add to Document as Image.

 

Note2

If the program uses the PDF content information, a faster and more accurate result can be achieved (as compared to OCR).