User manual

Adding passwords and setting security options
You can limit access to an Adobe PDF document by setting passwords and by restricting
certain features, such as printing and editing.You can also use other methods to create
secure documents, such as encrypting or certifying a document. (See About document
security.)
A PDF document can have two kinds of passwords: a Document Open password and a
Permissions password. When you set a Document Open password (also known as a user
password), anyone who tries to open the PDF document must type in the password you
specify. If you are restricting printing and editing, you should add a Document Open
password to enhance security.
When you set a Permissions password (also known as a master password), only those
people who have typed the Permissions password can change security settings. If the PDF
document has both types of passwords, it can be opened with either password, but a user
can set or change the restricted features only with the Permissions password. If the PDF
document has only the Permissions password, or if the user opens the document using the
Document Open password, the password prompt appears when the user tries to change
security settings.
Important: If you forget a password, there is no way to recover it from the document.
Keep a backup copy of the document that is not password-protected.
To change password security settings for a document:
1. From the Tasks toolbar, choose Secure > Show Security Settings For This Document.
2. Click the Change Settings button.
3. If prompted, type the Permissions password that lets you change security settings. If you
do not know the password, contact the author of the PDF document.
4. In the Password Security - Settings dialog box, set the security options as desired.
Note: You can also restrict editing changes when you certify a document, or when you
apply a policy to a document.
To change password security settings for a document using a policy:
1. From the Tasks toolbar, choose Secure > Secure This Document.
2. Choose the password security policy you want to use, and then click Apply.
For details on security policies, see Encrypting Adobe PDF files using security policies.
To remove password security settings from a document:
1. Do one of the following:
● From the Tasks toolbar, choose Secure > Remove Security.
● In the Security tab of the Document Properties dialog box, choose No Security from the
Security Method menu.
2. When prompted, specify the Permissions password, and then click OK.
To change security settings for a collection of documents:
1. Choose Advanced > Batch Processing.
2. Do one of the following:
● Select an existing sequence, such as Password or Set Security To No Changes, and then
click Run Sequence.
● To set different security options, define a new batch-processing sequence or edit an
existing sequence.
For more information on batch sequences, see About batch sequences.
Related Subtopics:
Password security options