(+) Convert PDF Files Back to the Original Documents
Converting a document to PDF format is a simple and free process, as described in my recent “Convert Documents to PDF” article. However, converting in the opposite direction used to be more difficult. Luckily, several software tools are now available that will convert PDF files back to the original formats, be it Word’s .doc files, Excel’s .xls files, PowerPoint’s .ppt files, Notepad’s .txt files, or others. You can maintain fonts, keep colors, and even preserve tables.
Extracting original data out of a PDF file would have been impossible or nearly impossible a few years ago. However, a number of such products are available today.
PDF files used to be considered "secure." That is, nobody could ever take your PDF document, import it into a word processor, and then use your data. However, that has now changed. In fact, I often use a program that easily converts PDF files to Microsoft Word files.
As an illustration of the changing security considerations of PDF files, here is an excerpt from an article that I wrote six years ago, in the February 25, 2002, edition of this newsletter:
By setting security options in Acrobat, the author can give his or her PDF documents a certain level of copy protection. One of the options available within Adobe Acrobat program that creates PDF files will prevent users from copying text or images, effectively disabling the normal “copy-and-paste” functions. Other options prevent users from printing the document or changing the features that the author has set. You can even set a password to prevent viewing by would-be users who do not have the password. To be sure, anyone who can view a document can always re-type the information by hand. However, PDF files make it very difficult to electronically extract bits and pieces of information from within a document.
I should point out that this protection is not 100% guaranteed. In fact, sophisticated hackers have succeeded in “cracking” Adobe PDF files and extracting the original information. However, a lot of software skills are needed to “crack” a PDF file. Even owners of the Adobe software that creates PDF files cannot easily “crack” a PDF file created by someone else. Only a handful of people have ever managed to open a PDF file.
My, how the world has changed in six short years!
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