Product Guide – PDF Password Protector Pro 2026 Edition

Contents

About

XenArmor PDF Password Protector Pro is the enterprise software to instantly password protect your PDF file to prevent others from copying, editing, printing etc.

 

Features & Benefits

• Instantly Protect PDF file with Password
• Protect with both open and permission password
• Prevent others from copy, modify, print etc
• Protect single or all files in a folder
• Encrypt PDF using RC4, AES algorithm
• Supports all version of PDF files (v1.0 to v2.0)
• Right click on PDF file and quickly protect with password
• No need to upload files to online website
• Your files will be safe & private (all operations done locally)
• Command-line version to run from scripts
• Automate or batch process your PDF files
• EV Code Certified by SECTIGO: Enhanced trust & reduced Antivirus false positive warning
• Portable Unlimited Edition to run on Unlimited PCs directly from USB disk
• Works on both 32 bit & 64 bit Platforms starting from Windows Vista to Windows 11

Requirements

XenArmor PDF Password Protector Pro works on both 32-bit & 64-bit platforms starting from Windows Vista to Windows 11.

Here are the specific details,

• Installation Size: 8 MB
• RAM: 4 GB+ Recommended
• Operating System: Windows 11,10,8,7,Vista, Windows 2008/2012/2016/2019/2022 (32-bit/64-bit)

Installation

XenArmor PDF Password Protector Pro comes with standard windows installer which allows seamless installation & un-installation.

Launch the setup and follow on-screen instructions to complete the installation as shown below,

After installation, it will launch your software showing activation screen as follows,

Anytime, you can uninstall it directly from the Windows Add/Remove Programs.

How to Use?

XenArmor PDF Password Protector Pro  is very easy to use.

Please follow simple steps to protect your PDF file

• First, select type of operation (single file or folder)
• Next drag & drop or select your PDF file/folder using browse button
• Now set the open password for target file
• Optionally, you can choose restrictions such as copy, modify, print etc.
• If you set restrictions then you have to set permission password. By default, it will use open password for permission password as well. You can enter different one.
• Finally, you can click on “Protect PDF” and your selected or all PDF files in folder will be password protected as shown below,





NoteOpen password is also referred as user password and permission password is also referred as owner password in general.

Here are different scenarios of setting one or both of these passwords,

1. Set open password and empty permission password

In this case, by entering open password, target PDF file can be opened and there will not be any restrictions (copy,edit,print etc)
Here anyone with open password can have full access to PDF file.

2. Empty open password and set permission password

In this case, anyone can open target PDF file but cannot copy, modify or print. However by entering permission password, one can bypass all such restrictions.
Please note in most cases, special softwares like PDF Password Remover Pro can completely remove such password & restrictions. Hence this is not geat protection option.

3. Set both open and permission password

In this case, if the user opens target PDF file by entering open password then he/she can view the contents but cannot copy, edit or print. However if the user opens file by entering permission password then he/she can perform all operations.
With this protection option, you can give open password to those who needs to only view PDF file and give permission password to one who needs to have complete access to it.

PDF Password Protector Pro also automatically installs right click context menu. This allows you to right click on any PDF file and click on “Protect PDF” to quickly protect PDF file.

NoteAlso note that Basic Edition supports up to 500 files while Premium Edition supports up to 2000 files in folder. Unlimited Edition supports unlimited files in folder.

Right Click Menu Options

Right click context menu helps you to quickly perform quick tasks & easily copy various fields as shown below.



Settings

Settings Panel help you to tweak & customize various PDF password protection operations.

To launch, simply click on ‘Settings’ button from the main GUI screen and you will see the Settings Panel as shown below,



Below are the detailed explanation for each of these settings,

Target PDF Encryption Type

Here you can select encryption type (RC4, AES) for target PDF file based on compatibility with Adobe Acrobat.
AES-128 or AES-256 is recommended.

Set Suffix for Target File

By default it automatically sets suffix _free to target file. Here you can set new suffix text or disable it completely.

Ignore Files with above Suffix in Folder

In folder mode, by default, it will skip all PDF files with above suffix. This is useful to skip files whose passwords have already been removed.

Remember the Input Password

By default all input parameters including source file, target file, password (encoded) are stored in Settings (settings.db) file. So that you don’t have to enter it next time.
However for security reasons if you want to prevent storing password then you can uncheck this setting.

Enable PDF file right click context menu

This option helps you to enable or disable PDF file right click context menu. Once enabled, you can right click on any PDF file and select “Remove Password” menu option. By default it is enabled for all editions except for Unlimited Edition.

How to Use Command-line Options?

XenArmor PDF Password Protector Pro also supports command-line options. It helps you to fully automate or batch process using your script or program.

Here is the screenshot of using Command-line options



Here are various command-line options & examples

Usage: 

//Single PDF file 
PDFPasswordProtectorPro.exe -s [source_file]  [target_file] [open_pass] [perm_pass] -cmp  [report_file]

//Folder mode  
PDFPasswordProtectorPro.exe -f [source_file]  [target_file] [open_password] [perm_password] -cmp report.csv 

 Options:  
  source_file:  Input PDF file to protect 
  target_file: Final protected PDF file
  open_pass:  Set password to open PDF file 
  perm_pass:  Set password to remove/bypass permissions
  report_file:  Generate status report of this operation
  -cmp (permissions):  c-prevent copy, m-prevent modify, p-prevent print 

Examples: 
//Password protect single PDF file  
PDFPasswordProtectorPro.exe -s "c:\test\xen.pdf" "c:\pdf_protected.pdf" pass123 123pass -cmp status.csv	
	
//Password protect all PDF files in folder  
PDFPasswordProtectorPro.exe -f "c:\xenarmor_pdf\" "C:\xenarmor_pdf\" pass123 123pass -cmp report.csv 

By default it will generate status report in CSV format.

Also command-line version automatically uses Settings configured via GUI version.

NoteThis feature is available in Premium and higher editions only.

Automation of PDF Password Protection

XenArmor PDF Password Protector Pro comes with command-line options to help you to automate your PDF password protection operations. It can generate detailed final status report in CSV format.

Here are simple steps to automate PDF password protection using Windows Task Scheduler.

1) Launch Windows Task Scheduler from Administrative Tools in Control Panel. Next click on “Create Basic Task” on right side panel as shown below,

2) On the Basic Task page, enter name as ‘PDF Password Protector’. On next page select ‘Daily or Weekly or Monthly’ with appropriate Time settings as per your need.

3) Next on the ‘Action’ Page, click on Start Program and then enter command & arguments as shown below,



For more command-line options refer to PDF Password Protector Pro Command-line Version section.

4) Finally click on Finish button to schedule the automatic PDF Password protection operation.



Frequently Asked Questions

How does the software protect PDF files?

The software protects PDF files by setting the password and applying security restrictions to prevent unauthorized access.

• Set a password to control file opening
• Apply restrictions on copying, editing, and printing

It supports both Single File and Batch (Folder) modes:

• Single File Mode: Protects a selected PDF with password and restrictions
• Folder Mode: Secures multiple PDF files at once (based on edition limits)

Once protected, users must enter the password to open or perform restricted actions.

For step-by-step instructions, refer to the User Guide.

How can I remove PDF password and restrictions later?

You can easily remove the password and all restrictions using:

XenArmor PDF Password Remover Pro

Is technical knowledge required to use this software?

No, the software is designed for users of all skill levels.

In few clicks, you can protect any PDF file easily.

Is the Trial version fully functional?

The Trial version is available for both Basic & Premium Edition.

It includes all features of the full version for evaluation with minor limitations,

• Support password up to 8 characters only
• Command-line features disabled

We recommend trying the Trial version before purchase. If you need any assistance, feel free to contact our support team.

Software is blocked by antivirus software. What should I do?

Generally free password tools flagged as PUA (Potentially Unwanted Applications) by antivirus.

However, this software is enterprise-grade and digitally signed with EV Code Certificate by Sectigo, a leading certificate authority – ensuring authenticity & safety.

This is typically a false positive. You can resolve it by:

• Adding the software to your antivirus whitelist/exclusions
• Temporarily disabling antivirus protection during installation/running
• Reporting the file to your antivirus vendor as a false positive

For Windows Defender, you can quickly add exclusions or temporarily disable protection using:

XenArmor Windows Defender Manager Pro

Can I try Unlimited Edition before purchase?

The “Unlimited Edition” trial is not offered for security reasons.You can test the Premium Edition Trial, which has the same features.

The Unlimited Edition adds 100% portability and unlimited PCs support.

Does it support command-line and automation?

Yes, Premium and higher editions include command-line (CLI) support, allowing you to automate PDF password tasks or run it from your scripts.

For detailed usage and examples, please refer to the User Guide.

I have few more queries

Please Contact our support team with all details for expert assistance.