Update: Recently, Microsoft is making a change to its Microsoft Office branding. Microsoft Office is being renamed by Microsoft 365. After the official renaming, our article content will be updated accordingly.
PDF is widely used, and it's the best format to view and share documents. But, the PDF's un-editable feature might be a hindrance if you need to revise or edit a file. With the read-only label, a user wouldn't perform any desired operation like printing or copying. And for these reasons, many users are looking for a seamless approach to editing a read-only PDF file.
How to edit a read-only PDF? This post will offer you the best solutions for editing read-only PDFs with simple clicks, and you'll be able to explore the prime software for editing read-only PDFs.
How to Change a PDF from Read-only to Editable:
Step 1. Install and launch EaseUS PDF Editor on your PC and import the read-only PDF.
Step 2. Go to the "Protection" tab and choose the "Remove Security" option.
Step 3. When a window pops up, enter the password to remove the protection.
Step 4. Now, the PDF becomes editable. You can use the tools on the "Edit" or "Pages" tab to edit your PDF freely. Then, click "File" > "Save" to keep the editable PDF on your computer. >> Detailed Instruction
If you want to use legit software that won't harm your files, EaseUS PDF Editor is the best choice. This is a reliable software that can help you edit PDF files without any hassle, and even those files are read-only.
You can import a PDF file to the program to remove the restriction and edit it like editing a normal PDF. The program allows you to edit read-only PDFs as per your requirements with the "Remove Security" feature. It also supports encrypting a document with a password to add security to PDF files.
You can edit both the PDF contents and PDF pages in a breeze. This PDF editing software enables you to insert images and text into PDF and remove them from PDF. In addition to that, you can rotate, crop, and reorder the PDF pages freely. If you want to find a specific page easily, it's possible to add page numbers and create bookmarks in PDF.
Key Features:
This all-in-one software is for those who don't want to download many programs to remove the PDF restriction and edit the PDF. If you're going to get it, click on the button below.
How to Change PDF from Read-only to Editable:
Step 1. Launch EaseUS PDF Editor and click "Edit". Then, choose and import the PDF you want to edit from your computer.
Step 2. There are many editing tools. You may choose to add text, image, link, watermark, set background, edit header & Footer, etc. Always remember to save the changes with the "Save" button.
Step 3. When you made all the changes, click "File" > "Save as" to save it to your computer. You need to give the new PDF file a name and file location, and click "Save" in the next window to finish.
If you want to go for secure software that helps you edit read-only PDFs without losing data, then Adobe Acrobat is the best. It's authentic software that allows you to access and edit PDF files.
The software provides many options to convert read-only PDF files into editable ones. The only limitation of the software is that it's a paid solution and quite expensive for some users.
Features:
How to Convert Read-only PDF to Editable Using Adobe Acrobat:
Step 1. Open the Adobe Acrobat program on your computer. Upload the required read-only PDF file for editing.
Step 2. You can edit the PDF files with text and images. For the protected files, if you have access to the file's password, select "Tools" > "Protect" > "Encrypt" > "Remove Security" and edit.
Step 3. For saving your file, click on "File" > "Save As" choose PDF from the drop-down menu and click "Save."
Some of you might have an unhappy experience in editing read-only PDF files with online tools. But, many excellent online free tools are suitable for the task. Those online editors don't harm PDF files and are free from viruses. Many of you might already know about Google Docs, but some may not know it is the best free online tool for editing read-only PDF files.
Features:
How to Change PDF from Read-only to Editable Using Google Docs:
Step 1. Open Google Docs from the browser using your Gmail Account. Choose the "Folder" option present at the bottom right of the screen.
Step 2. After that, you'll see a new window. Choose your desired PDF file by clicking on "Upload" from the folder. You can also drag & drop your files from your device or click on "Select a file from your device."
Step 3. After uploading your secured PDF file, click on the "Open With" button from the top of the window and select "Google Doc." You can edit your PDF file with different options and save it on your PC after editing.
Most people have Microsoft Word installed on their computer. Although it is designed mainly to edit and save Word documents, if you want to edit a PDF file, you can convert it to Word format and edit it in Word. Now, follow the steps below to edit a read-only PDF.
Step 1. Open Microsoft word and select "File" at the top left of the toolbar.
Step 2. Click on the "open" option to select the PDF you want to edit. When you see a popup message, click "OK".
Step 3. Select the "Enable Editing" option to edit the content and select the "Save" option to save the file into PDF form.
Gmail just added a solution that may solve your problem. If you can receive or send the PDF file to your Gmail box, then you may use this tool to edit your PDF file. The operation is quite simple. The only thing you need is a Gmail account. If you have one, just follow the steps below to edit a PDF with it.
Step 1. When you receive an Email with PDF file attached, you'll get a "View" link along with the previously existing "Download" link.
Step 2. Click on it, and the PDF Document will be turned into to HTML.
Step 3. Open the HTML file in Microsoft Word and choose "Save as .doc". At this stage, you can edit this previous read-only PDF file in Word.
How to edit a read-only PDF? Several authentic PDF editors introduced by this post can edit read-only PDF files without any hassle.
EaseUS PDF Editor is the best one for Windows users as it provides features like security removal, PDF editing, and PDF converting. Moreover, if you work with PDF files frequently, the pro version of this software suits you best. However, for users who need tools for occasional PDF editing, Google Docs is enough.
1. How do I change a file from read-only to edit?
Method 1. Remove the read-only attribute
Some read-only files can be changed to allow for edits by removing the read-only attribute in the file properties. Right-click the file and select Properties. Uncheck the box for Read-only and click OK.
Method 2. Convert PDF to editable Word or other formats
Use online or offline PDF converters to change PDF to editable file formats. Then you can edit the PDF as you like.
2. How do I edit a non-editable PDF?
To edit a non-editable PDF, you first need to remove the read-only attribute with some PDF editing programs.
3. How do I unlock a PDF so I can edit it?
EaseUS PDF Editor can help you unlock a PDF for editing. Import your PDF, the nclick Protection > Remove Security. Once done, hit Save to export the edited PDF.
About the Author
Melissa is a sophisticated editor for EaseUS in tech blog writing. She is proficient in writing articles related to screen recording, voice changing, and PDF file editing. She also wrote blogs about data recovery, disk partitioning, and data backup, etc.
