How to print/edit/copy a password-protected PDF

[Hyncharas]

A group I work with want to disseminate a PDF, but make it impossible to print, edit or copy information unless they have a password that restricts access.

So I've been following instructions from this thread as a test, protecting the document using a password.  However, the thread pertains to editable forms and not normal documents saved as a PDF - now that it is protected, the function to print is greyed out and copying information from it persists... if no dialog box appears, how does one actually unlock the document to print it, or stop someone from copying information?!

[try67]

The process described in the thread you linked to applies to "normal" PDF

files as well as to forms.

To remove the protection one needs to use Acrobat and to follow the same

procedure but select "No security" in the File Properties window (of

course, you have to know the password in order to do that).

Keep in mind, though, that this type of security is far from perfect and

can be easily overcome (using third party tools) if someone is willing to

do so...

[Hyncharas]

So there's no simple way of just opening it in Adobe Reader, clicking a button/feature that prompts you for a password and you enter it, then?

Sounds like MS Word is a much better piece of software than Acrobat, in some respects...

[try67]

No, it's not possible to remove that protection in Reader.

Word and Acrobat have very different purposes, they're not in the same category at all.

[Bill12]

Also in your comparison to WORD, a person using only the WORD viewer is limited in the same way as in Adobe Reader. They are simply viewers and are not designed for editing and such. Typically you can copy, but not if security has been set. Restrictng the copying and such is referred to security. Again, you cannot remove security in Reader, just as comparing WORD and the viewer. As mentioned, WORD and Acrobat have different purposes and that is important to keep in mind.