Q: Can Finder find an encrypted PDF file?
I saved a PDF, in Preview, and encrypted it. I have done this over time and never kept them in a single folder. Can Finder locate these files? If so, what is the tag, or other attribute is used?
Thanks.
iMac, OS X El Capitan (10.11.6)
Posted on Aug 19, 2016 2:20 PM
FWIW, you can find encrypted files using a Finder search. The problem with PDFs is however, some are password protected so you can't modify them but you can open and read them. The PDFs you encrypt with Preview won't open without a password.
To search all encrypted files you can press "Command + F" while in the Finder. Click the drop down menu where it says "Kind" and select "Other…". Then select "Security","Matches" and type "Password". It will find all encrypted PDFs but there doesn't seem to be a way to distinguish ones that need a password to open from those you just can't modify. The ones created with Preview will have an icon with a lock.
Posted on Aug 19, 2016 6:22 PM