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Is it possible to find out the source of a downloaded pdf from examining the pdf data? The pdf in question was not downloaded by myself but was downloaded into an account of mine. I have since changed passwords. From opening the pdf it appears to be a website saved as a pdf format.

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  • Mobiles are off-topic.
    – DavidPostill ♦
    Dec 11, 2018 at 20:41
  • Thank you David, I will modify my question to suit.
    – Vesper007
    Dec 11, 2018 at 22:16
  • you want to know the website it came from? expand on source please, what exactly do you want to know?
    – Joep van Steen
    Jan 28, 2023 at 12:56

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If you downloaded to an NTFS drive, the source may be recorded in an alternate data stream called 'Zone:Identifier'.

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An easy way to find and view alternate data streams is Nirsoft's AlternateStreamView.

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Unless the origin is "in" the PDF (i.e: as Text or Metadata), there is no way to know where it came from...

In addition to this, any origin that appears to be in the PDF may not actually relate to the perceived origin.

For example:

  • The file may have been produced by an academic at a University
  • There may be a link to the author's web space on the University systems, or even a direct link to the PDF
  • But you may have actually downloaded it from a mirror or some other random site

Fundamentally: browsers do not modify file content, so there is no way to know where a file was actually retrieved from. Your best option is the browser history.

At a pinch you could try searching for text in the PDF to see if the results refresh your memory.

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Yes, it is possible & is very easy also. Works for me always as I am using latest version of adobe acrobat.

STEP 1: Open the pdf against which you want to check the details.

STEP 2: Once the pdf is open right click anywhere on the screen of the pdf & then select "document properties" (adobe acrobat should be used)

STEP 3: Select "description tab" from the popped up windows & there you will find all the relevant data like created title, author, created on, modified on, application used to make that pdf, application used for the coding etc.

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    Note that the data indicated there is whatever was entered by the creator or previous editor, and does not necessarily reflect accurate data.
    – Arctiic
    Dec 27, 2022 at 17:58

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