PowerShell Requires Chilkat v11.7.0+

Password-Protect a PDF with AES-256 Encryption

See more PDF Protection Examples

Demonstrates the simplest way to encrypt a PDF so that it needs a password to open. The passwords come from the UserPassword and OwnerPassword properties, and Protection with the encrypt operation and an empty JSON uses the defaults: AES-256, everything encrypted, every permission granted. Protection only records the security the PDF will be saved with. Nothing is encrypted until WriteFile is called. PowerShell

Add-Type -Path "C:\chilkat\ChilkatDotNet47-x64\ChilkatDotNet47.dll"

$success = $false

#  This example requires the Chilkat API to have been previously unlocked.
#  See Global Unlock Sample for sample code.

#  The PDF used in this example is available at two_page_memo.pdf

$pdf = New-Object Chilkat.Pdf
$success = $pdf.LoadFile("qa_data/pdf/two_page_memo.pdf")
if ($success -eq $false) {
    $($pdf.LastErrorText)
    exit
}

#  The passwords are taken from these two properties at the time Protection is called.
#  The user password opens the PDF.  The owner password opens it too, and is the one needed
#  later to change or remove the protection.
$pdf.UserPassword = "user-secret"
$pdf.OwnerPassword = "owner-secret"

#  An empty JSON asks for the defaults: AES-256, everything encrypted, every permission granted.
$json = New-Object Chilkat.JsonObject
$jsonOut = New-Object Chilkat.JsonObject
$success = $pdf.Protection("encrypt",$json,$jsonOut)
if ($success -eq $false) {
    $($pdf.LastErrorText)
    exit
}

#  Nothing has been encrypted yet.  "pending" describes the security the PDF will be saved with.
$("algorithm: " + $jsonOut.StringOf("pending.algorithm"))
$("PDF version: " + $jsonOut.StringOf("pending.pdfVersion"))
$("password needed to open: " + $jsonOut.BoolOf("pending.userPasswordRequired"))

#  Writing the file applies it.
$success = $pdf.WriteFile("qa_output/memo_encrypted.pdf")
if ($success -eq $false) {
    $($pdf.LastErrorText)
    exit
}

#  PreLoadCheck reports a file's encryption without loading it, and needs no password.
$checker = New-Object Chilkat.Pdf
$info = New-Object Chilkat.JsonObject
$success = $checker.PreLoadCheck("qa_output/memo_encrypted.pdf",$info)
if ($success -eq $false) {
    $($checker.LastErrorText)
    exit
}

$("encrypted: " + $info.BoolOf("encrypted"))
$("openPasswordRequired: " + $info.BoolOf("openPasswordRequired"))

#  With the password, the PDF opens normally.
$reader = New-Object Chilkat.Pdf
$reader.UserPassword = "user-secret"
$success = $reader.LoadFile("qa_output/memo_encrypted.pdf")
if ($success -eq $false) {
    $($reader.LastErrorText)
    exit
}

$("pages: " + $reader.NumPages)

#  Sample output:

#  algorithm: aes-256
#  PDF version: 1.7
#  password needed to open: True
#  encrypted: True
#  openPasswordRequired: True
#  pages: 2