This wikiHow teaches you how to use Google Docs, Microsoft Word, and Adobe Acrobat Pro to convert a PDF file to an editable Word document. Keep in mind that if you want to convert a PDF to a Word file, it must come from a text-based document, although sometimes you can convert a scanned PDF to a Word document. By converting a PDF to a Word file, usually the formatting and placement of the text will change.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Using Google Docs
Step 1. Visit Google Docs
Run a web browser on your computer and visit https://docs.google.com/. If you are logged in to your Google Account, the Google Docs page will be opened.
- If not signed in, type in your email address and password when prompted. Maybe you should first click Go to Google Docs in the middle of the page.
- One of the downsides of converting PDF files using Google Docs is that Google Docs can't save the photos that are in the PDF file.
Step 2. Click the "Upload" icon
Depending on your settings, the icon can be at the top right of the page under the Template Gallery, or below your profile photo.
Step 3. Click Upload
It's in the upper-right corner of the "Open a file" window.
Step 4. Click Select a file from your computer
It's a blue button in the middle of the window.
Step 5. Select the PDF file and click Open
The PDF file will be uploaded to Google Drive and a preview will be opened when the file has finished uploading.
Step 6. Click Open with located at the top of the PDF window
A drop-down menu will be displayed.
If the drop-down box Open with does not appear, hover your mouse over the top of the window.
Step 7. Click the Google Docs option in the drop-down menu
Doing so will open the PDF as a Google Doc file.
If option Google Docs is not in the drop-down menu, you can add it by clicking Connect more apps in the drop-down menu, searched for google docs, and clicked CONNECT which is to the right of the Google Docs option.
Step 8. Save the PDF as a Word document
With this action, you can download the PDF in Microsoft Word to your computer:
- Click File located at the top left of the Google Docs page.
- choose Download as in the drop-down menu that appears.
- Click Microsoft Word (.docx) in the pop-out menu.
- Specify where to save and/or click Save when requested.
Method 2 of 3: Using Microsoft Word
Step 1. Find the PDF file you want to open
Open the PDF save location on your computer.
Step 2. Right-click the PDF file
A drop-down menu will be displayed.
On a Mac, click the PDF file once, then click File which is in the top corner.
Step 3. Select Open with
This option is at the top of the right-click drop-down menu. A pop-out list will be displayed.
On Mac computers, it's at the top of the drop-down menu File.
Step 4. Click the Word option in the pop-out list
On Mac computers, you can click Microsoft Word here.
Step 5. Click OK when prompted
With this setting, you can use Word to open PDF files as Word documents.
If you get a PDF file from the internet, click Enable Editing located at the top of the window, then click OK back before continuing.
Step 6. Edit the Word document if needed
Like most PDF conversions, the document you convert does not display good page formatting in terms of line breaks, page breaks, graphics, etc. so you have to make adjustments manually.
Step 7. Save the converted PDF file
When you are ready to save the converted file to Word, do the following:
- Windows - Click File, choose Save As, and double click This PC. Next, name the file, specify a storage location on the left side of the window, then click Save.
- Mac - Click File, choose Save As, name the file, specify a save location, and click Save.
Method 3 of 3: Using Adobe Acrobat Pro
Step 1. Run Adobe Acrobat Pro
Click or double-click the Adobe Acrobat icon, which is the red Adobe logo.
Step 2. Click File
It's in the upper-left corner of the window (on Windows) or the screen (on Mac computers). A drop-down menu will be displayed.
Step 3. Click Open in the drop-down menu
Step 4. Select the PDF file
Open the PDF file on your computer, then select the desired file by clicking on it.
Step 5. Click Open located in the lower right corner
The PDF file will open in Adobe Acrobat.
Step 6. Click the File option again
The drop-down menu will appear again.
Step 7. Select Export To
This option is in the drop-down menu File. A pop-out menu will appear.
Step 8. Select Microsoft Word in the pop-out menu
This will bring up another pop-out menu next to the old one.
Step 9. Click Word Document in the second pop-out menu
This will open a Finder (Mac) or File Explorer (Windows) window to save the document.
Step 10. Save the file
Click the save location on the left side of the window (or in the " Where " drop-down box if you're on a Mac). Next, click Save located at the bottom of the window.
