I got a PDF from my landlord that won’t let me copy text or edit anything, and I need to fill in a couple of fields before the deadline on Friday. I have no idea why it’s locked or what to do about it.
That is annoying, but honestly I would ask your landlord for the unlocked file or the password, since those limits are usually set on purpose. To be fair, you could try Edge or Chrome; if it has real form fields, the browser may let you type into them. A flat scan has no fields, so printing it, filling by hand, and photographing it can work before Friday.
Does it ask for a password to open, or does it open fine but block copying? If it opens fine, thats just permissions and easy to work around. Run it through a PDF to Word converter, type your fields in Word, done. Or print it and fill it in by hand, two fields isn’t worth much fuss.
If it won’t let you type, I’d ask the landlord for an editable copy, or print it, fill it in by hand, then scan or photograph it clearly from your phone. Avoid trying random password-removal tools, as they can damage the file or raise permission issues.
I would first ask the landlord for a fillable or unlocked copy, since the restriction may be accidental. If time is short, try your browser’s “Add text” or annotation feature, or print it, fill it in, and scan it. Avoid trying to remove the security without the owner’s permission.
@cameron2002 I totally agree that printing is the easiest way to avoid the fuss! I deal with locked vendor invoices all the time, and I ussually just print, write it in, and take a picture to send back. It saves so much headache. What kind of phone do you use for snapping document photos?
@rando72836 Just an older iPhone here and it does the job, no special app needed. Shoot it in daylight with the phone flat above the page, then check the photo before sending. Keep a copy of the original PDF as well, in case anyone questions the filled-in version later.