How to Download Protected Pdf From Google Drive

Highlights

  1. You may have a pdf file with links to Google Drive that you want to download on your device. But, when you try downloading, you will not receive any download buttons. 
  2. This happens because Google intentionally created those files without a download or print button.
  3. Luckily, we have some methods using which you can easily download a protected pdf file from Google Drive.
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How to Download Protected Pdf From Google Drive
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Do you ever wonder if you can download a PDF from Google Drive, which is set to view only privacy? If so, then we got your back.

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In this article, we will help you with our step-by-step guide to downloading the view-only protected PDF from Google Drive. Therefore, let’s get started with the guide. 

Why Download Button is Missing for PDF in Google Drive?

  1. View-only permissions: Your download button will not appear if you have view-only permissions on the PDF file. Viewers might not be able to download the file because the owner restricted it.
  2. No internet connection: You might not be able to download the PDF if you are offline or experiencing connectivity problems.
  3. File format issues: In some cases, an incorrectly formatted PDF file may prevent the download button from displaying.
  4. Browser-related issues: Your browser may not display the download button if it has certain extensions, settings, or versions that interfere with Drive’s functionality.
  5. Temporary glitch: It is possible for the download button not to appear on Google Drive during temporary glitches and bugs. You may be able to resolve such issues by waiting a short period of time or refreshing the page.

What Are The Steps to Download Protected/View-Only Protected Pdf Files From Google Drive?

So, here are some steps that will help you download view-only protected Pdf files from Google Drive:

  1. Using Chrome, open the PDF file.
  2. Please wait until the entire file has loaded.
  3. Go to the bottom of the page.
  4. Press Ctrl + Shift + C for Windows or Cmd + Shift + C for Mac to open Developer Console.
  5. Select the Console tab.
What Are The Steps to Download Protected/View-Only Protected Pdf Files From Google Drive?
  1. In the console, paste the following JS code (Below).
What Are The Steps to Download Protected/View-Only Protected Pdf Files From Google Drive?
  1. That’s it! It will download a PDF file.

JavaScript Code

let jspdf = document.createElement("script");
jspdf.onload = function () {
let pdf = new jsPDF();
let elements = document.getElementsByTagName("img");
for (let i in elements) {
let img = elements[i];
console.log("add img ", img);
if (!/^blob:/.test(img.src)) {
console.log("invalid src");
continue;
}
let can = document.createElement('canvas');
let con = can.getContext("2d");
can.width = img.width;
can.height = img.height;
con.drawImage(img, 0, 0, img.width, img.height);
let imgData = can.toDataURL("image/jpeg", 1.0);
pdf.addImage(imgData, 'JPEG', 0, 0);
pdf.addPage();
}
pdf.save("download.pdf");
};
jspdf.src = 'https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/jspdf/1.5.3/jspdf.debug.js';
document.body.appendChild(jspdf);

Additional Method to Download Protected/View-Only Pdf Files From Google Drive:

If the above method doesn’t work for you, then we advise you to use any screenshot tool and open the view-only protected Pdf file on Google Drive and take a screenshot to save it on your device.

Here in this example, we use the Greenshot tool. So, let’s check out the steps to use it:

  1. Install the Greenshot tool
 Greenshot tool - Download Protected Pdf From Google Drive
  1. Open it and configure it according to your need. 
  2. Then, open the PDF file on your device using Chrome browser or Edge. 
  3. After that, using Greenshot take screenshots of the entire PDF. 
  4. Thereafter, using any third-party website, you can compile the screenshots together after cropping them into one file. 

From Author’s Desk – Download Protected Pdf From Google Drive

So, that’s all we have for you about the different steps involved to download view-only protected pdf from google drive.

It’s our hope that this guide has helped you. In the meantime, comment below and let us know if you have any doubts regarding this topic. 

Further Reading:

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