Preview asking for user password on PDF file. There is no password. Anyone have any suggestions?

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rdaveesh Author

Level 1

9 points

Preview asking for user password on PDF file. There is no password. Anyone have any suggestions?

iMac (21.5-inch Mid 2011), Mac OS X (10.7.3)

Posted on Apr 25, 2012 7:52 AM

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Answer 1

mcbuffy

Level 4

1,071 points

Apr 26, 2012 3:31 AM in response to rdaveesh

OK. Open your PDF with Preview and at the top of the window (near the file's title) you will see Locked in grey.

Click on it and in the menu that appears click Unlock.

It looks like this in OS 10.7.3 :

For information you can view the permissions of a PDF file in Preview by choosing in the menu bar Tools > Inspector, and then click Encryption (the lock).

Hope this will help. 🙂

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Answer 2

rdaveesh Author

Level 1

9 points

Apr 25, 2012 1:11 PM in response to mcbuffy

I can view the PDF but when I try to duplicate it or save it, it asked me for an owner password. I called the sender and they send that there is not password on that document.

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Answer 3

mcbuffy

Level 4

1,071 points

Apr 25, 2012 12:24 PM in response to rdaveesh

Hello,

Can you open the .pdf file or it's just that you can't select or copy text ?

I've never read about a problem with PDF and Preview so the best thing to do is to ask the person who gave you the document for that password.

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Answer 4

rdaveesh Author

Level 1

9 points

Apr 26, 2012 9:19 AM in response to mcbuffy

I did what you said and do see the Locked in grey. I clicked unlock, however when I go to duplicate or export the file, it still asks for an owner password. I have given up on this and will just use Adobe Reader as my default for PDF files.

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Answer 5

mcbuffy

Level 4

1,071 points

Apr 26, 2012 11:09 AM in response to rdaveesh

Yes, sorry but it seems it's a "problem" with the new Lion features “Versions”.

Try to delete the .pdf and re-download it. If it was send via email go to your webmail via a browser to download it (not via a mail application).

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Answer 6

MikeinMS

Level 1

8 points

Feb 9, 2016 8:27 AM in response to mcbuffy

I realize this thread is a million years-old but I ran into the same problem this morning trying to copy a Canon camera manual from a CD to my desktop. I am still using OSX 10.6.8 so I thought that might be the problem. Out of frustration I just dragged the PDF file onto my desktop rather than "save" it and, voila! It is now on my Mac.

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