Tag: Convert PDF to Word

Converting a PDF file to a Word document using Microsoft Word

UPDATE: This post is no longer relevant since Win2PDF now supports for converting Word Files, Open Document, and Rich Text Format files to PDF.

After our last post about using Google Docs to convert a PDF file to Word, we had a couple of reader comments asking, “Why don’t you just use Microsoft Word to convert the PDF file directly?”

Great question.  We used the Google Docs method of conversion because it was completely free and did not rely on the use of a commercial program.  But, since so many users have Microsoft Word already, we should explain how it can be used to convert a PDF file much more easily.

First, open your Microsoft Word program.  (Note:  Your interface may look slightly different depending on which version of Microsoft Word you are using).  Then, select Open and choose the PDF file you wish to convert.

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Second, once you choose the PDF file, you will get a message in Word stating the file will be converted to an editable Word document.

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Lastly, once the conversion is complete, you can just edit the file directly, or save it out as a newly formatted Microsoft Word file.

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And that’s it.  If you already have a newer version of Microsoft Word, this method seems to work better than the Google docs method we described in our previous blog post.  And, it bears repeating, if you don’t want your PDF files to be modified or converted to Word, you can encrypt the files to prevent changes using our Win2PDF Pro version of the Win2PDF software.

Converting a PDF file to a Word Document (for free) using Google Docs

UPDATE: This post is no longer relevant since Win2PDF now supports for converting Word Files, Open Document, and Rich Text Format files to PDF.

This article about Paul Manafort made the headlines the other day, and it got us wondering:  How many people know how to convert a PDF file to a Microsoft Word document?  Do you?

While there are some specialized commercial programs that do this conversion, there are also free alternatives available.  One of the easiest methods is to use Google Docs to do the conversion from PDF to Word.  Here are the basic steps:

 1. Open the PDF file in Google Drive

From a Gmail account or any other Google app, click on the Google Apps icon.  This will allow you to open another Google app associated with your account, including Google Drive.

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Once Google Drive is open, choose Upload files… from the My Drive drop-down menu.

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Then, choose the PDF file on your hard drive that you wish to convert to a Microsoft Word document.

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2. Right-mouse click on the PDF file in Google Drive, and open the file in Google Docs

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When you open with Google Docs, the PDF file will be converted to a Google doc.  And once it is a Google Doc, it can be saved as another format, including Microsoft Word.

3. Download the file as a Microsoft Word (.docx) formatted file

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And that’s it.  Currently, Google’s conversion process does seem somewhat limited and some formatting may be lost, but it will give you an editable Word document from the original PDF file.

Now, what if you don’t want your PDF files converted to Word, or modified in any way?

For that, you just need to encrypt the PDF file to prevent modifications.  And there’s an easy solution for this as well.  This can be done using our Win2PDF Pro software.