Troubleshooting
Working with Password-Protected PDFs
Unlock a PDF with its document password, or retry a protected file without losing the rest of your exhibit set.
Some PDFs require a password to open. Others open normally but restrict changes. ExhibitPrep attempts to read supported protected PDFs on your device; the document and password are not sent to our servers for this processing. See document privacy.
If asked for a PDF password
- Check the filename in This PDF is Password-Protected.
- Enter the password used to open that document in PDF password. It is not your ExhibitPrep license key.
- Choose Show if you need to check what you typed. Capital letters and spaces matter.
- Choose Unlock PDF and wait for the check to finish.
Check the result: the document appears in the Documents list. Review its pages and stamp placement before preparing your export.
If the password does not work
Check the password with the person who supplied the document. ExhibitPrep cannot recover an unknown password. Ask for the correct password or an unprotected copy.
Choose Help with this PDF, or close the password window, to leave the file in Upload review. This does not remove the other documents you already added.
Retry the affected file
- Close the help window, if one is open, to return to Upload review.
- Choose Retry file beside the affected filename.
- Select the original with the correct password, or a replacement PDF from the document source.
- Confirm that the document is in the Documents list and its pages are readable.
Choose Exclude from this bundle only if you intend to leave that file out. A file still awaiting a decision is not silently included in the finished set.
If the PDF opens elsewhere but not here
A PDF that opens without a password may have editing restrictions; supported restrictions are handled automatically. If it still fails, keep the original and request a new PDF copy from the source. If authorized, you can also use a desktop PDF application's security controls to save a separate unprotected copy. Review the replacement before adding it; recreating a PDF can change document features.
If none of these steps works, use the issue-report form below. Include the error wording and the step that failed, but not the PDF password or confidential document contents. The form does not attach your PDF automatically.