1

I have a zip archive with several files. Zip can password protect individual files (not just the whole archive) and I have such a protection on one file.

How can I extract this file if I no longer remember the password?

10
  • 4
    Either you're leaving out part of the question, or you're including too much information: namely, the bit about the zip file. Can you extract the PDF file from the zip file? If so, don't mention the zip file. Your problem is that you have a password-protected PDF file whose password you have "forgotten", period. Nov 3, 2012 at 1:08
  • I can't extract the protected pdf from the zip. Thank you for your attention.
    – Beam
    Nov 3, 2012 at 4:23
  • 1
    How can you even attempt to open the PDF file if you can't extract it from the zip file?
    – jjlin
    Nov 3, 2012 at 6:04
  • 1
    The other file in the zip is unprotected and can be extracted and opened without a password prompt. Only the pdf cannot be extracted or opened due to the password protection. Therefore, I believe the zip is not protected. Am I correct? And do you still feel that the question is stated incorrectly?
    – Beam
    Nov 3, 2012 at 23:35
  • 2
    Password protection operates on a file-level in a .zip archive, so each file can be protected or not by choice. zipinfo will show password protected files by displaying a capital letter in the file type e.g. B for encrypted binary files. Feb 4, 2013 at 18:45

1 Answer 1

2

So there are a few possible answers.

First, if the zip actually doesn't have a password on it then you will be able to extract the pdf files no problem. then the issue becomes opening the pdf files with a password you forgot. Google "pdf password" and you will find some links to software that can remove the password, the one I have used costed $30.

Second, you are mentioning the zip, because you probably can't unzip it. If this is the case, then there actually is a password on the zip file. Windows natively can't recognize this. You need to install 7Zip, Winzip or WinRar. any one of them will prompt you for the password that you don't even know is there.

If you have one of those programs and the Zip file really doesn't have a password and it still won't unzip, then you still need to run a password removal tool on the zip file even though it doesn't have a password.

If none of that works, then you have a corrupted zip file. Not sure that's recoverable using basic tools.

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .