The document is read-only, and it will not accept a single keystroke.
Restrict Editing is switched on, or the file opens read-only, and the cursor sits there doing nothing. It might be a contract that needs one clause changed, a policy you have been asked to update, or your own document that came back from a client with editing turned off. We clear the restriction on your own .docx and send it back. There is no password to type in afterwards — the restriction is gone.
See the price — £9 Flat price. You pay only if we can do the job.
No password afterwards. You are not handed a password to type in later. The restriction is removed from the document itself, so you open it and type, the way you always could.
Your words are not touched. Same text, same styles, same tables, same headers, footers and page breaks. We remove the editing restriction; we do not rewrite the document.
We check it before you pay. Your file comes to us first so we can check we can do the job. If it turns out to need a password just to open — the kind that usually cannot be done — we say so, you are not charged, and our copy is deleted.
You will recognise this if…
- Restrict Editing is on, and Stop Protection asks you for a password you do not have.
- The document opens read-only and every keystroke is refused.
- The file came back from a client, a solicitor or a template with editing switched off.
- You need to change one clause, one date or one paragraph before it goes out, and you cannot.
The screen says one of these, and it means the same thing — editing is restricted:
- “This document is protected from unintentional edits.”
- “Restrict Editing is on and Stop Protection wants a password.”
- “The title bar says Read-Only and typing does nothing.”
This is a restriction on the file, not damage to it. The text is all there — which is why the restriction can be taken off.
Get the price
Drop the locked file below. We read its size on your own computer to show you the price — choosing a file sends nothing. When you press unlock we take a copy and check whether we can do the job. The answer appears here: if we can, the Pay button appears; if we cannot, you are told why and you pay only if we can. One flat price, whatever the file weighs.
How it works
Three steps. You see the price before you send anything, we check the copy you send, and you pay only if we can do the job.
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Drop the document
We read its size on your own computer and show you the price. Choosing a file and looking at the price sends nothing; pressing unlock is what sends us a copy.
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We check it, then you pay
Pressing unlock sends us a copy over an encrypted connection, and we check we can do the job. You pay by PayPal only if we can; if we cannot, you are not charged and our copy is deleted. Your original stays on your computer — we work on our own copy.
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We clear the restriction
You get an email with a download link to the unlocked document. It opens ready to edit, and there is nothing to type in.
What we can do, and what we cannot
Being clear about the limit is more useful than a promise. Here is the honest split.
The restriction comes off
This is the protection that stops you changing the document. It opens fine — it just will not let you type, and Restrict Editing will not switch off without a password.
- Editing restriction removed — typing, deleting and formatting all work again.
- Read-only flag cleared, so it opens ready to edit instead of opening locked.
- Comments, tracked changes and existing revisions left as they are.
- Text, styles, tables, headers and footers untouched.
A password to open is a different job
If the document asks for a password before it will open at all, the whole file is locked, not just editing. That is encryption, not protection, and on most files it cannot be undone by anyone.
- We do not guess passwords. If the file will not open without one, that is not what this service is for.
- A damaged file is a repair job, not an unlock. We will say so rather than guess.
- Files you have no right to. We ask you to confirm ownership before you upload.
We check before you pay
We look at the file first. If it turns out to be password-to-open — the kind that cannot be done — we tell you, we do not take the job on, and anything you have paid is refunded.
So the worst case is a few minutes of your time, not your money.
One price
£9 for one document, whatever its size. No tiers, no extras, no upsell at the end. You see the price before you send anything, and you pay through PayPal only once we have checked the copy you sent and know we can do the job.
If we cannot clear the restriction, you get your money back. That is the whole pricing policy.
Questions people actually ask
Can I edit it afterwards?
Yes, and there is no password to type in. The restriction is removed from the file, so it opens in the normal editing view with the cursor live, exactly as it did before someone protected it.
Do I need the password that was set on it?
No. We do not ask for it and you do not need to know it. If you do know it, you can switch Restrict Editing off yourself — you would not need us at all.
Will my formatting and comments survive?
Yes. We only remove the restriction. Styles, tables, headers, footers, comments and tracked changes are all as they were. Nothing is converted and nothing is exported.
What if the document asks for a password to open it?
Then it is encrypted, which is a different job and, on most files, not one that can be done. We check which one you have before we take any money, tell you straight, and refund anything paid.
How long does it take?
The download link arrives by email, usually within the hour. You get a link, not an attachment, so a locked-down email system cannot block it.
Is this legal?
Yes — on your own file. You own the content and you have the right to edit your own work. We ask you to confirm that before you upload, and we refuse anything that looks like someone else's file. The full explanation is on the why this is legal page.
What happens to my file once you have finished?
The working copy we unlock is deleted once the job is done. The file you download stays available for a limited period, then it is deleted too. Your original never left your computer.
Locked out of a different kind of file? See which files we unlock — same price, whichever it is.