Want to know how to corrupt a PDF file? Then this article is the right place to find effective solutions to corrupt a PDF file so that it won’t be able to be opened or recovered by other tools or sources.
PDF file corruption is generally not appreciated in most cases. Still, it may be useful to block access to sensitive information, prevent reuse or redistribution, or pull a prank. Here are some easy ways to make a corrupt PDF.
5 Methods to Irreversibly Corrupt a PDF File
If you are handling sensitive information ensure you have a backup of the PDF before corrupting it.
Method 1: File Corruption Tools
If you wish to corrupt a file, opting for an online tool would be the best and probably the easiest way to corrupt a PDF file online.
Simply open the site on your web browser, upload the PDF file, wait until the process is completed, and then download the corrupted PDF file.
Method 2: Use Notepad
Open the PDF file in Notepad, remove a few random characters, and save the document, follow the steps below:
- Right-click on the .pdf file and choose Edit with Notepad
- Remove any few characters and save.
Now try opening the PDF file, it will show an error message
Method 3: Rename the File Extension
Change the PDF file extension to something else (e.g., .txt). This will prevent PDF readers from recognizing the PDF file. Here is how to do it:
- Open File Explorer.
- Navigate to the folder containing the PDF file.
- Click on the View tab at the top of the window and Check the File name extensions option.
- Right-click on the PDF file, select Rename, and change to .txt or .bak
- Confirm the change by clicking Yes on the warning message.
Method 4: Use Hex Editor
Try using Hex editors to edit the binary code of the PDF files to corrupt it.
P.S. You can try these on other files like photos, docs, and videos as well.
- Download a Hex Editor application (HxD, Hex Fiend, or other)
- Launch Hex Editor, click on File > Open, and select the PDF file
- Modify or overwrite some of the hex values or bytes and save the changes
Method 5: File Compression Tools
Compress the PDF file add or remove contents from the newly created .zip file and change the extension back to .pdf, this will make your PDF file corrupt. Follow the steps below:
- Right-click the PDF file and choose Send to > Compressed (zipped) folder.
- Now open the newly created .zip file and select Open with > File Explorer.
- Drag and drop unrelated files or delete some of the existing files inside the zip folder (though this is rare for a single PDF).
- Now close the File Explorer window to save changes to the .zip file.
- Change the extension .zip file back to .pdf and confirm the change.
Now try opening the modified file with a PDF reader. it should now be corrupted and unreadable.
Conclusion
If you intend to corrupt a PDF file intentionally, whether to destroy sensitive information or for research purposes, take note. Although there are several file repair tools available to fix file corruption, the best way to ensure safety is to create backups before proceeding to corrupt a PDF file.
Frequently Asked Questions
1: How does a PDF file get corrupted?
A PDF file can get corrupted due to issues like incomplete downloads, software errors during saving or transferring, or intentional modification of the file’s data structure.
2: How to unsecure a pdf?
To unsecure a PDF, use a PDF password remover tool if you know the password, or try online PDF decryption services.
3: How to tell if a PDF file is corrupted?
When PDF displays an error message or shows garbled text and images when accessed with a PDF reader it is likely to be corrupted.
