Buzz
This article provides a step-by-step guide on how to convert a PDF file into an editable Microsoft Word document using tools like Google Docs, Microsoft Word, or Adobe Acrobat Pro. It is important to note that for a PDF file to be converted into a complete Word document, the original PDF must have been created from a text-based document. Although, in certain cases, you can also convert scanned documents into Word format. However, converting a PDF to Word often results in changes to the layout and formatting of the content.
Steps
Using Google Docs
Open Google Docs. Navigate to https://docs.google.com/ on your browser. This will take you to the Google Docs homepage if you're already signed in to your Google Account.
- If you're not signed in, you'll be prompted to enter your email and password. You might first need to click Go to Google Docs in the center of the page.
- A limitation of using Google Docs for PDF conversion is that it does not retain any images from the original PDF.
Click on the Upload button located in the top-right corner of the "Open a file" window.
Click on the blue button Select a file from your computer in the center of the window.
Select your PDF file and click on Open. This will upload your PDF file to Google Drive and display a preview once the upload is complete.
Click on Open with at the top of the PDF window, and you will see a list of options.
- If you don't see the Open with option in the list, move your mouse to the top of the window.
Click on Google Docs from the list of options to open the PDF as a Google Doc file.
- If you don't see Google Docs in the list, you can add it by clicking Connect more apps in the options list, searching for google docs, and clicking ➕ CONNECT on the right of the Google Docs option.
Save PDF as a Word document. This action allows you to download the Microsoft Word version of your PDF file to your computer:
- Click on File in the top-left corner of the Google Docs page.
- Select Download as from the options list.
- Click on Microsoft Word (.docx) from the menu that appears.
- Choose a destination folder and/or click Save when prompted.
Using Microsoft Word
Find the PDF file you want to open. Go to the folder containing the PDF file on your computer.
Right-click on the PDF file to open the options list.
- On a Mac, click on the PDF file and then select File in the top-left corner of the screen.
Select Open with at the top of the options list to open a new set of options.
- On a Mac, this option will be near the top of the File menu.
Select the Word option in the list that appears.
- On a Mac, click on Microsoft Word at this step.
Click OK when prompted. This will allow Microsoft Word to open the PDF as a Word document.
- If you have downloaded the PDF from the web, you may need to click Enable Editing at the top of the window and then click OK again to proceed.
Edit the Word document if necessary. Similar to using PDF conversion tools, the converted text may not appear perfectly due to line breaks, page breaks, images, etc., so you may need to make additional edits to adjust the formatting.
Save the converted PDF document. When you're ready to save the converted Word document, follow these steps:
- Windows — Click File, select Save As, double-click on This PC, enter a file name, choose a save location on the left side of the window, then click Save.
- Mac — Click File, select Save As, enter a file name, select a save location, and click Save.
Use Adobe Acrobat Pro
Open Adobe Acrobat Pro. Click or double-click the Adobe Acrobat software with the red Adobe icon to launch it.
Click on File (File) at the top-left corner of the window (on Windows) or screen (on Mac) to open the dropdown menu.
Click on Open (Open) from the dropdown options.
Select the PDF file. Navigate to the folder containing the PDF file on your computer, then click on the file to select it.
Click Open (Open) at the bottom-right corner of the window. Your PDF file will open in Adobe Acrobat.
Click on File again to open the dropdown menu.
Select Export To (Convert to) in the File dropdown menu to display a new set of options.
Choose Microsoft Word from the selection list. A new dropdown menu will appear next to the current one.
Click on Word Document in the final dropdown. This will open the File Explorer (on Windows) or Finder (on Mac) to save your document.
Save the file. Click on the save folder on the left side of the window (or, on a Mac, click the area labeled 'Where' if visible), then click Save at the bottom of the window.
Advice
- There are many online services, such as SmallPDF, that can convert a PDF file into a Word document if the PDF doesn't contain important content.
Warning
- Converting a PDF file into a Word document will always result in the loss of some formatting.
