Adobe Acrobat “You do not have Sufficient Permissions to Perform this Task”

“Recently I have installed Adobe Acrobat Pro DC. Now, whenever I am attempting to add a watermark to a document, I am getting an error message. The error says you do not have sufficient permissions to perform this task. No one disturbed my computer and I had never faced this issue previously. One day while whilst watermarking in a series of PDF files, this error message appeared and now it is permanent. It has ceased my working as I need to add watermark in multiple files. Is there any expert who can assist how to overcome this issue?”

PDF is the most popular file format when it comes to sharing the documents between people or different corporations, even if we discuss official documentation. A PDF is also very customizable that we can allow other users to write on it, sign it, or just the opposite, that they can just see it without any option to modify it. In order to make it even more personal and easily identifiable, we can watermark it. Basically, it is done to secure the copyright information.

However, sometimes while users attempt to add a text, logo, or any other image as watermark using Acrobat DC, they get an error i.e., ‘You do not have sufficient permissions to perform this task’. Please change the security settings.

After this error prompt, Acrobat refuses to watermark the document and users start searching the causes and solution for the same. If you are one among such users and finding the solution for this then, certainly you are on the right page. This article comprises some eminent ways to resolve this PDF issue.

Reasons Behind the Error Message

Users limit access to PDF files via setting the passwords or by restricting it using certain features like editing or printing. After that, when users try to perform the edit operations on secured documents. Then, Acrobat DC application throws an error message. This error states that the user has no sufficient permissions to perform edit operations like watermarking etc.

Remove Security & Fix “You do not have Sufficient Permissions to Perform this Task”

In order to delete PDF file security first, open the file using Adobe Acrobat DC application

• In Acrobat DC, click on the File tab and choose Properties option

• Document Properties windows will prompt after this. Here you can check the Document Restrictions Summary and you will find that your PDF has edit restrictions

• Now, to remove this restriction, click Change Settings… box

• A pop-up window will occur after this and will ask you to enter the Permission Password. Here, type the password that you have set to restrict this file

• Now, click on the drop-down menu next to the Security Method section and choose No Security option

• • To apply the changes hit the OK button

• After this, your PDF would be restriction free and you can watermark it via clicking on Edit PDF >> Watermark >> Add

What If You Forgot/ Lost PDF Permission Password?

We have learned that the error message ‘you do not have sufficient permissions to perform this task’ can be resolved it the permission password is known to a user. But, at times due to bad memory or any other unpredictable reasons, users might lose their PDF permission passwords. Such scenarios arise a common question that how to insert a watermark on protected PDF.

Luckily, there is a way by which this can be done simply and the complete procedure to do the same is categorized into two major steps:

Step One. Unsecured Adobe PDF File

PDF Unlocker is the best way by which users can remove owner level permission password from PDF documents quickly. It allows users to enable permissions like Printing, Copying, Editing, Form filling, Document Assembly, etc. In addition, Adobe Acrobat installation is not required to unlock password protected PDF.

The software supports to unsecure multiple PDF files at the same time. However, the demo version of the tool can process the first 5 PDF files. While on the other hand, the full version of the tool can process several PDF files without any limitation.

Below are the steps to remove permission password from protected PDF files are given:

• Download and run the tool
• Now, add the secured PDF files to remove the restrictions
• The software will display options like “Save” / “Print” choose any 
• Click on Change option & hit Unlock button
• Now, the software will display the confirmation message
• After this, all the security permissions will be removed from your PDF file

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Step Two. Watermark Adobe PDF

Now, you can use PDF Watermark Software to add text or picture watermark on multiple PDF files even without Adobe Acrobat installation. Just follow these simple steps:

• Launch the tool and click Watermark tab

• Now, select if you want to add Text Watermark or Image Watermark and click Next

• In the next windows, click Add File/ Add Folder button and select the resultant PDF file

• Do all the required settings for the watermark like Watermark Text, Position, Font Size, Color, Transparency Level etc.

• Hit the Browse button corresponding to Select Destination Path section and choose desired location to save output PDF

• • Click Next to continue further

• After this, the software will generate a summary page that comprises the information of previous changes. Hit the Generate button

Watermark will be added to your PDF file after this and you can access the resultant PDF from the destination location

Summing It Up

How to resolve Adobe Acrobat DC error i.e. ‘You do not have sufficient permissions to perform this task’ is one of the most common queries asked by hundreds of PDF file users. This technical page incorporates all the essential information about this error and its causes. Apart from this, we also have compiled some simple and actually working techniques that can help users to resolve this error message.

Frequently Asked Questions