Electronic documents in PDF format are read-only. You won’t be able to simply take and edit such a document - for this you will have to install special software, for example, the cumbersome and expensive Adobe Acrobat. Individual elements of a PDF file can also be edited in Word 2013 and 2016. But what should those who use earlier versions of this editor do?

No, you don't have to install or update anything, because there are better ways. Today we’ll talk about how to convert PDF to Word using free online services.

PDF to DOC

If you try to open a PDF file in Word 2010 in the usual way, most likely, instead of text and pictures you will see “crackers”:

This is a mess. To bring the document back to normal, let’s “feed” it to the first online converter of our review - PDFtoDOC.

To upload a PDF file to the site, click the button of the same name or drag it to the field highlighted in the screenshot. After 5-20 minutes (sometimes longer - it depends on the file size) you can take the finished result. To do this, click on the button “ Download", which will appear below the document, or " Download All" The service can convert up to 20 files at the same time.

The result of converting a PDF document containing graphics, text, drawings and tables (circuit diagram) into DOC format did not disappoint me. Yes, there were some distortions. The fonts have become larger than in the original, and as a result, individual groups of words have shifted slightly, but the overall structure and readability of the diagram have been completely preserved:

Converting to DOCX format (on the next tab) gave the same result - no better and no worse. The only difference is that the size of the final file is 5 times smaller.

The disadvantage of the service that I noted for myself is that the download is too slow. The 30 MB Word file took about 10 minutes to download onto my computer.

SmallPDF

To eb-service SmallPDF, I liked it more than the previous one. The same circuit was processed about 2 times faster and loaded back in a matter of seconds. The structure of the document, as in the first case, remained unchanged, but there were fewer distortions in it.

Using SmallPDF is also very easy:

• Upload or drag the PDF file onto the selected field. By the way, the service supports downloading documents from Dropbox and Google Drive.
• Click " Convert».
• Download the result to your computer or save it to your Dropbox or Google Drive.

Of the shortcomings of SmallPDF, only two are worth noting. The first is that the free version is limited to two downloads per hour (unlimited use with a subscription costs $4-6 per month). The second is to save the result only in DOCX format.

Google Docs

Those who are accustomed to Google services such as Google Drive and Docs, can also use them to convert PDF documents to Word (DOCX only). This option is good because it does not impose restrictions on the number, size of files, or time of use, but in terms of conversion quality it is much inferior to both predecessors. The built-in editor does a good job of processing PDFs that contain only solid text. It does not perceive lists, tables, graphs, pictures and other elements of structure and formatting.

The procedure for converting PDF to Word is as follows:

• Sign in to your Google account.
• Open the contents of your Google Drive in the browser, find the desired PDF document, right-click on it and select “ To open with» – « GoogleDocs».

• If you are confused by what you see on the screen, go to the menu " File" Google Docs editor, select " Download as" And " MicrosoftWord (DOCX)».

That's all the conversion is.

Convert Online Free

To eb-service ConvertOnlineFree converts PDFs to both DOC and DOCX formats. Processes files one at a time. The source file should not weigh more than 50 Mb. Immediately after the conversion, which lasts 3-15 minutes, the result is sent to the folder " Downloads» browser.

I was quite satisfied with the functionality of Convert Online Free, but I was not happy with what happened after processing the diagram - the same one that I used to test other services. Some of the pages turned out to be in portrait orientation (in the original everything was in landscape), the right side turned out to be empty in many places, and the text that should have been there moved to the next sheet.

Standard Converter

P last online resource – StandardConverter, Converts PDF to DOC format only. There is no information about restrictions on the size and number of downloaded files - this is a plus. Processing the experimental circuit took about the same time as the others - this is also not bad, but the result was even worse than that of Convert Online Free.

The original formatting is only partially preserved. The original appearance remained for 2 or 3 pages, the rest of the program was torn “to the British flag” and smeared over several sheets.

Perhaps Standard Converter, like Google Docs, should be used for processing simpler documents.

Based on the testing results, PDF to DOC and SmallPDF coped with the task best. In second place is Convert Online Free, and third place is shared by Google Docs and Standard Converter. However, it’s probably not worth judging the work of the service as a whole based on one document. Try them yourself - your results may not be the same as mine.

Also on the site:

How to convert PDF to MS Word document format updated: October 15, 2016 by: Johnny Mnemonic

Documents in pdf format were previously intended only for viewing and publishing. At that time there was no way to edit these files. But over time, pdf documents spread on the Internet at great speed, and it became necessary to make adjustments in this area. Editing and converting pdf is now possible!

Having received a book, article or any text in electronic form, you may find that it is a pdf file. Of course, it is possible to read the text in this format. But if you need to translate a pdf into word (more precisely, convert a file with a .pdf extension into .doc), consider this not a problem!

How to convert pdf format to word

There are many ways to do this, we will tell you about the simplest ones in our opinion. If you don’t have a specific program on your computer to convert pdf text to word, and you are not going to install it, then just copy the text from the pdf document into Microsoft Word. This method is good when you do not need to convert the entire document, but only part of it. How to do it?

1. First you need to open the text in pdf. If it doesn’t open, it means you don’t have a special program on your computer. You can install it, it will be useful in the future. We recommend the free program Foxit Reader; it has the same interface as the famous Adobe Reader, but is much faster and does not contain unnecessary options. So the file is open...
2. Now go to tools and select select text.
3. Select the required text.
4. Right-click on it and copy it, selecting copy.
5. Open a new word document and paste the text here (edit - paste).

In some cases, a person may encounter such a tricky pdf file, where the text can be selected, but cannot be copied, that is, the “copy” option is not available. In this case, we will convert pdf to word using Adobe Acrobat Reader for editing PDF files. This method will make it easier and faster to translate an entire book or other large document. The first thing you need to do to convert pdf to word is download Adobe Acrobat Reader.

1. Open the pdf file in Adobe Reader.
2. Go to the “edit” menu and select “copy file to clipboard”.
3. Create a new word document and paste the copied text into it (ctrl+V).

In addition to the program and regular copying, a person may need to convert pdf to word online. And there are many similar converters on the Internet. Let's take a closer look at "Nitro PDF converter" and see how to work with it:

1. We go to this website (primopdf.com/index.aspx).
2. Select the button in the top menu of the site “online”.
3. In step 1, using the review, we find the required document in pdf format on our computer.
4. In step 2, enter your email address and click on “convert”, which means convert.
5. We go to our e-mail and wait for a message with a ready-made file in word format.

How to convert word to pdf

To convert a word file to pdf, we will use the OpenOffice Writer program, which will have the ability to export text to pdf. OpenOffice Writer, like Microsoft Word, is needed for manipulating text documents. Follow the instructions and easily convert your word document to pdf...

1. Copy the required text from the word document (select, edit - copy). Paste it into a new OpenOffice Writer document (edit - paste).
2. In the OpenOffice Writer interface we find the desired option: click the “file” menu, and then select “export to PDF”.
3. A window with parameters for the future pdf file appears in front of you. In the "general" tab you can select the text conversion area, image parameters and other features. Don't change everything else.
4. After you click “export” at the bottom of the window, you will only need to write the file name, because the format (pdf) will be set automatically. Done - word has been converted to pdf.

In practice, the PDF format is used to store electronic text documents. And despite the large number of advantages and benefits of using this format, there is one significant drawback that the user may encounter.

This disadvantage is the difficulty of editing and changing the text (see). To solve this issue, you need to use special applications. Let's look at options and ways to convert PDF to Word.

To convert, you need to perform the following steps sequentially:

Open the program, the icon looks like this:

Select “File” – “Open” from the menu. Find and open the text that requires conversion and move on to the next step

In the window that appears, enter the name of the new (converted text with the DOC extension) and the location where it will be saved. Then click the “Save” button

The new saved document will look like this as shown in the image

PDF to Word using FineReader

The sequence of actions is as described below:

Enter the program, the icon looks like this:

After opening, proceed to convert it by clicking on the menu “File” - “Save document as” - “Word document” or “97-2003”

In the window that appears, enter the name and location of the conversion result, confirm with the “Save” button.

Convert PDF to Word using Microsoft Word

To change the format of an electronic document, follow the instructions:

Right-click on the document that needs to be converted. In the menu presented, select “Open with” – “WORD (classic application). The opening process may take some time.

Enter the name of the document to be saved and select the desired format in the “Type” section. The conversion result will be saved after confirmation by clicking the “Save” button.

When using this conversion method using Microsoft Word, situations may arise when PDF text:

• protected;
• contains pictures or photos.

What to do in such situations?

The instructions for converting a protected document correspond to those described above, supplemented by only one action in step 2, namely, click the “Allow editing and only then proceed to saving.

Electronic text containing pictures is converted in the same way as text without pictures. The instructions are described above. The main difference that the user may notice is the long opening time and saving of results. This fact is explained by the fact that pictures and photos are often larger in size compared to files containing text.

Attention! When converting in this way, problems with fonts may arise (incorrect display - clunkers).

Convert PDF to DOC format on Mac OS

Owners of equipment equipped with Mac OS can use several methods:

• convert using PDF Converter Free software;
• use the Microsoft Office Word function.

The first program is available for download on the App Store. This application is free. The software interface is as simplified as possible for the user, which makes it possible to convert to DOC without much difficulty and additional knowledge.

When choosing the option to use Office Word, you can use the instructions discussed earlier in the section “Converting a file using Microsoft Word” as a basis.

Convert PDF to Word using Google Drive

You can use this method only if you have a Google account.

To translate (convert) the format, the sequence of actions is as follows:

Sign in to your Google account and go to Google Drive.

Find the required file or download it. Standing on it, right-click and select “Open with” and select the option shown in the picture below.

Select the menu language, as well as the PDF source to be converted and click the “Convert” button

In the window that appears, click “Download” to download the results.

Other programs and online services for converting PDF to Word

In addition to the considered and most popular conversion methods, there are also others for conversion. Some of them are discussed below:

Free PDF to Word Converter. You can use it for free. The installation takes place automatically. To change the format, you need to log into the program and select the required file and the path where to save the results. The program interface is in English.

Icecream PDF Converter. Both free and PRO versions are offered to users. Converts to DOC format and vice versa.

It will appeal to lovers of e-books. It has a built-in book reader function.

Online PDF service? DOC – free. To start working with the service, you will need to log in using the link and then follow the instructions described below.

Instructions:

1. In the window that opens, click the “Download” button.
2. Select a PDF source, indicating the path to it. As a result of correct actions, it will appear on the screen in the lower left corner.
3. Next, click “Download”.
4. Save the result to the required folder on your computer.

Another online converter is PDF to DOC.

Instructions:

1. Follow the link.
2. Select the first bookmark.
3. Upload the text that requires conversion, click on the “Download” button and then specify the path to it.
4. Click “Download” and save the result.

Go4Convert is an online service that does not require installation and converts to the desired formatDOC.

Instructions:

1. Login via link.
2. At the top of the screen, select the second tab from the left.
3. Click the “Select file” button to download the text in PDF format.
4. Once the document is selected, click “Launch”.
5. The message “Your document is being processed” will appear, after which you need to wait a little.
6. The file is converted and all you have to do is save it.

Frequently asked questions about converting PDF to Word

What is the main difference between converter programs and online services?

The following differences stand out: online services limit the possible size of files and there is often no way to convert text that contains pictures.

The program freezes when converting a document using Microsoft Word. What could be the problem?

One of the problems may be a large file. To convert large electronic documents, it is better to use Adobe Acrobat.

What is the best method to use to convert a PDF file with pictures?

It is better to use the first and second methods, namely, resort to the help of Adobe Acrobat or FineReader programs. They will preserve the quality of the pictures as much as possible. When converting via Word, the text can be optimized, as reported by the program itself.

When is it appropriate to use Google Drive for conversion?

Google Drive will help the user convert the PDF to DOC file format, regardless of his location. This service is available to the user anywhere in the world where there is Internet, just log into your account.

Good day everyone, my dear readers. Today I would like to tell you how to convert a PDF file into Word for text editing using free online services and more. As you remember, in one of the recent topics I talked about. In fact, it turned out to be very simple; it was enough to do it using Word. Well, what if you need to do the opposite? Let's get a look.

Copying from adobe reader

I remember when I was still in college, I was looking for essays. One day I found a topic I needed, downloaded the abstract, but it turned out to be in PDF format. I didn’t know how to extract the text from there, since it wasn’t even copied. I had to rewrite it manually. Oh, and this is an unpleasant task, I want to tell you. And only then did I find out how to copy the contents into Word. Now, of course, you can copy immediately.

To do this, open your pdf document in the program, and while holding the left mouse button, select the contents. Well, if you want to select all the contents, then click CTRL+A. Well, now right-click on the selected text and select “Copy”.

Now open our Word and simply paste what we have selected. Well, you understand that you need to right-click and select “Paste”. Something like that.

SmallPDF

But, to be honest, when I want to transfer from one format to another, I use the smallpdf service. I like it better than the others, and it works the best. I tried many online and offline programs, but some programs copied the content as pictures, not as text, or even converted with errors or the entire structure was lost.

Let's go to the site smallpdf.com and we will immediately see the capabilities of this service. As you can see, there are a whole bunch of possibilities here. You can not only translate from pdf to word, but also vice versa. You can also translate photos, Excel documents, presentations, compress, merge, etc. But we will look at the whole process using the example of translation from PDF to docx. I think that my step-by-step instructions will help you, even if you are a beginner in this matter.

There are of course limitations to this service. You can only convert 2 documents per hour, but in my opinion this is enough for general use. But if you need it constantly, then purchasing a license is not that expensive. The license costs $6 per month of use, or $4 per month, provided you pay for a year at once.

But this service is really worth it. It's the best I've seen and it's free to use. The structure does not go astray, space after space. But if you have your own online service that converts documents perfectly and for free, then please share. I always like to see something new, especially if it's something worthwhile.

I just tried about 8 different converters for exactly these needs, and not one of them worked as well as smallpdf. Even online-convert, which I talked about, let me down in this regard.

Online PDF to DOCX service

Another cool online converter that does its job of converting from PDF to other files. Moreover, it can convert online into two Word formats: DOC (for Office 2003 and below) and DOX (starting from Office 2007).

Go to the site pdf2docx.com and click on the “Download” button. After that, select up to 20 documents in PDF format and wait until the conversion takes place.

When everything is ready, point to the received document and click “Download”. An automatic download will occur, after which you can open the document in Word format and edit it further.

The service is very simple and convenient. Its advantage is that there are no unnecessary bells and whistles, so anyone can figure it out.

Online PDF to Word converter

Of course, I cannot leave aside the PDF to Word service, which can also easily convert a PDF file into Word so that you can edit the text.

In just a few seconds you will receive a message in your email containing a link to the converted file in Word format. Click on the link, and after downloading, open the document to make sure everything went fine and you can safely edit it.

There is also a separate program that will work directly on your computer and convert files directly, that is, without sending them by email. True, this program is paid, but if you are interested, you can try it for free for 14 days.

Extract pdf

The last thing I would like for today is a simple online application, extract pdf, which does not translate directly into Word, but gives you the bare text.

To get started, go to the website extractpdf.com and click on the “Select file” button, then select any PDF document and click “Start”.

After this, you will be transferred to a separate page where you will need to select the “Text” tab. You will see a separate form with ready-made text, which you can copy and paste into a word document.

Of course, this method is not the most convenient, but it can be useful, especially if you do not need all the material, but only a piece of it.

Optical text recognition OCR programs

But, unfortunately, it is not always possible to convert a pdf file into word with the ability to edit the text. If a PDF is initially formed from scanned documents, then in essence it is no longer text, but an image. In this case, you will have to use one program with optical recognition and editing capabilities.

The most popular and probably the most functional of these programs is ABBYY Fine Reader. Unfortunately, it is paid, but people still manage to download broken versions from torrents and similar sites.

There is nothing difficult to use. You just need to open the PDF file and click on the “Recognize” button, or select this item when opening the program.

If the text was not handwritten, then the program will recognize it for you, but sometimes the quality and formatting simply go down the drain, and you want to give up everything and write everything yourself by hand.

Fine Reader online

But Fine Reader decided to gain fame in the online space and created their own web service for conversion and recognition. Of course, it is not free, but nevertheless, after registration you will have the opportunity to recognize and translate up to 15 pages per month into Word for free.

It's easy to use. Simply select the source pdf file with scanned text, then select the language and format of the output document, for example docx. And then it’s a matter of technology.

Best regards, Dmitry Kostin.

Along with the many advantages of using PDF documents, there is one significant drawback - the inability to make changes to PDF files. There are several options for converting PDF documents into Word documents for further editing and use.

The first method works provided that when creating a PDF file, the protection settings did not prohibit copying content and you do not need to save the formatting settings that existed in the document. Create a Word document into which the text will be imported. Open the PDF file. Hold down the left mouse button and select the text that needs conversion. If you need to convert the entire document, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+A. Copy the selected text (Ctrl+C) and paste it into a document with a .doc extension (.docx). Now you can successfully begin editing and formatting text information in a Word document. Use existing online services to convert PDF to Word. Most of them are free and will not require registration or downloading additional programs to your computer. Let's get to know some of them. Go to convertonlinefree.com and click "Convert Pdf to Word". Next, select the tab with the required extension of the final document - .doc or .docx. Select the file to optimize and click the "Convert" button. After some time, the finished Word document will automatically download to your computer. Please note that this service processes files up to 30 MB in size. The converters pdftoword (the maximum size of the source document should not exceed 4 MB), pdfonline (an English-language, but no less productive service) work in a similar way. Some converters may ask for your email address in order to send the conversion result to it. Install a PDF file conversion program on your computer. You can download and use First PDF, ABBYY FineReader, Adobe Acrobat XI programs. The latter is not very popular because it is paid. Let's look at the basic principles of operation of such programs using the First PDF converter as an example. Install and run the program. Select a Pdf document by clicking on the “Select Pdf” button in the lower left corner. In the lower right corner, click the Browse button to specify the location and name of the Word document. The conversion result will appear after pressing the central GO button. Google account holders can convert Pdf documents using the Drive service. Find and download the file by clicking the arrow button. Right-click on the downloaded document that appears in the list of titles. Sequentially click “Open with”, “Google Docs”. This will open text that is completely ready for editing and formatting.