When a password-protected searchable PDF is edited and saved by using Preview on macOS, a text in the PDF may not be searchable.
This problem occurs under the following conditions:
This problem occurs when a searchable PDF file is created with ScanSnap Home for Windows 2.10.0 or later and is protected with a document open password or a permissions password.
Recovery
Please use “ScanSnap PDF Resaver” below to save the PDF file as another PDF file with no password and convert the PDF into searchable with ScanSnap Home. After that, set a password with Preview if necessary.
Steps
- Download ScanSnap PDF Resaver (MacScanSnapPwdTool.dmg).
<Download site> - Run the downloaded installer to display the [MacScanSnapPwdTool] screen.
- Drag and drop the ScanSnap PDF Resaver icon on the [MacScanSnapPwdTool] screen to the local disk.
- Drag and drop the PDF saved in ScanSnap Home to ScanSnap PDF Resaver.
Note: Click Open to the message “You are opening the application “ScanSnap PDF Resaver” for the first time. Are you sure you want to open this application?” or “”ScanSnap PDF Resaver” is an app downloaded from the Internet. Are you sure you want to open it?”
Attention
When a password-protected PDF cannot be re-saved by ScanSnap PDF Resaver with the message “This PDF file does not need to be processed as it is not password protected.” (the PDF is protected with a permissions password), set a document open password to the PDF by using Preview (*1) on macOS, and then try again with ScanSnap PDF Resaver to save as another file.
For details on how to set a document open password with Preview, please contact Apple Inc.
(*1): If you are using macOS Catalina 10.15 or macOS Mojave 10.14, use another application for adding a document open password. The PDF file may be broken when a password is set by using Preview on those OS.
- The window appears asking for password. Enter the password.
- When the PDF file was successfully resaved, click the [OK] button.
- Another PDF file with no password is saved.
- In the step 8 and 9, refresh the file list to find the PDF in ScanSnap Home.
Select [ScanSnap Home] under Mac on upper left. - Select [View] - [Refresh all folders] in the main window to refresh the file list.
- In the step 10 and 11, convert the PDF into searchable.
Press and hold the [control] key, click the content data record of the created PDF and select
[Convert to searchable content data record]. - Select the language to perform text recognition, make sure the checkbox for [Embed text information in a PDF file] is selected, and click the [Yes] button.
The new PDF is converted into searchable.
When a password needs to be set to the new PDF, please use Preview on macOS.
For details on how to set a password with Preview, please contact Apple Inc.