In some cases, you may find that you can’t copy and paste from PDF. Why can’t I copy and paste from a PDF anymore? How to fix it? If you wonder about those, you can read this post. Here, MiniTool PDF Editor reveals possible reasons and troubleshooting fixes for this issue.

Copying and pasting is a great way to transfer important content from one PDF file to another. However, sometimes you may find yourself unable to copy and paste from PDFs. To find the causes and solutions of the issue that you can’t copy and paste from PDF, read on.

Why Can’t I Copy and Paste from a PDF Anymore

Why can’t you copy and paste from a PDF? In this part, we collect the common reasons for the “can’t copy and paste from PDF” issue as follows.

  • The PDF file is a password-protected one, restricting unauthorized access.
  • The PDF file has a copy restriction.
  • The PDF file is created from a scanned document or image, so it contains no editable text.
  • Any virus in your system damages the PDF file.

After knowing “Why can’t I copy and paste from PDF”, let’s delve into the solutions to the annoying issue.

Tips:
If the PDF file is corrupted or damaged, you can fix it by following this guide: How to Repair Damaged or Corrupted PDFs? [Solved].

How to Fix If I Can’t Copy and Paste from PDF

Based on the above reasons for “why can’t I copy and paste from a PDF anymore”, this post explores some feasible ways you can try when can’t copy and paste from PDF. Check out them and choose a proper one according to your situation.

Way 1: Unlock the PDF File

If the PDF file is protected with a password, you are unable to access it. Then obviously you can’t copy and paste from PDF. As for this, you should enter the correct password to unlock the PDF document. If you get this PDF file from others, you may need to contact them to get the password.

[Complete Guide] How to Create an Interactive PDF?
[Complete Guide] How to Create an Interactive PDF?

How to create an interactive PDF to make your document more attractive? If you wonder about that, you can pay attention to this post.

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Way 2: Remove the Security Restrictions

If you, or the PDF owner, add a security password to prevent others from editing the specific file, including copying and pasting the text. To fix it, you can remove the security restrictions using the password. But if you forget PDF password, what should you do?

In this case, you’d better try to decrypt the PDF file with a PDF editing tool. MiniTool PDF Editor is a great way. It’s a comprehensive PDF manager that enables you to remove the permission password without knowing the correct password.

Besides, it also allows you to open/create/edit PDFs, crop/rotate PDFs, convert PDFs or images to other formats, compress PDF/Word/Excel, and more. Download and install MiniTool PDF Editor on your PC. Then follow the steps below to remove the security restrictions.

MiniTool PDF EditorClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

Step 1: Launch MiniTool PDF Editor to the main interface. Then click the Open option to upload the PDF file you fail to copy and paste from.

Note:
This program offers a 7-day free trial the first time you launch it, which means you can get access to all the features. However, once the trial expires, you have to upgrade this program to regain the right to use every feature.
upload the PDF file

Step 2: Click the Permission Removal button in the warning prompt to continue.

click Permission Removal

Step 3: In the pop-up window, uncheck the Replace Existing Files option and change the save path if you want to save the decrypted PDF as a new file. If not, keep the option checked. Once done, click Apply to decrypt the PDF file.

remove security permission

Way 3: Convert the PDF File to Editable One

Why can’t I copy and paste from PDF after opening the document? Well, as mentioned earlier, if the PDF is a scanned file, you cannot copy and paste its content. On this occasion, you need to make the scanned PDF editable via OCR. When it comes to OCR PDF, MiniTool PDF Editor is here to help you.

Step 1: Download, install, and launch MiniTool PDF Editor. Then open the target PDF file.

Step 2: Go to the Home tab and then click OCR from the submenu.

select OCR

Step 3: In the Recognize Document window, select Document with Text and Images in the Output section and All Pages in the Page Range section. Then click Apply.

modify OCR settings

After that, the new version of the scanned PDF file will open in a new tab automatically. Now, you may be able to copy and paste from the file.

Why can’t you copy and paste from a PDF? How to fix it? If you have these questions, I’d like to share this post with you. It tells the possible causes and solutions.Click to Tweet

Bottom Line

This post introduces the reasons why can’t you copy and paste from a PDF and methods to fix it. If you can’t copy and paste from PDF files, you can refer to this post to have the issue solved. For any problems with MiniTool PDF Editor, please feel free to contact us via [email protected]. We’ll reply to you as soon as possible.

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About The Author

Yamila
Yamila

Position: Columnist

Yamila is a fan of computer science. She can solve many common issues for computer users by writing articles with simple and clear words. The very aspect that she is good at is partition management including create partition, format partition, copy disk and so on. When she is free, she enjoys reading, doing some excerpts, listening to music and playing games.