Convert a PDF to TXT on Windows
Windows does not ship with a simple way to turn a PDF into a plain text file. Edge can open a PDF and let you select text, but copying a long document by hand is tedious, and the free programs that promise a one-click convert often bundle toolbars or nag you to buy the full version. FixTools does the job in the browser with none of that. Open the tool in Edge, Chrome, or Firefox, pick the PDF from File Explorer, and the selectable text is read from every page and shown in a box. Save it as a plain .txt file to your Downloads, or copy the whole thing to paste into Notepad, Word, or an email. Because pdf.js reads the file locally, the PDF never leaves your PC, there is nothing to install, and nothing is uploaded. It works the same on Windows 10 and Windows 11, and the .txt opens in any editor already on the machine.
- Cost
- Free tier
- Sign-up
- Not required
- Processing
- Tool-specific
- Privacy
- Clearly disclosed
Runs in Edge, Chrome, or Firefox, nothing to install
Saves a plain .txt you can open in Notepad
The PDF never leaves your PC
PDF Tool
PDF to Txt
Open the tool to see its processing method, supported formats, and current limits.
🚀Open PDF to TxtFree tier · No account · Limits shown before processing
Skipping the sketchy free converters
Search for a PDF to text converter for Windows and the results are full of installers that ask for admin rights, add a browser toolbar, or watermark the output until you pay. For a task as small as reading a text layer, that is far more software and risk than the job warrants, and on a locked-down work PC you often cannot install anything anyway.
FixTools runs entirely in the browser you already have, so there is nothing to install and no installer to vet. The PDF is read on your machine with pdf.js and the text is handed back as a plain file. If the extracted box comes up empty, the PDF is scanned rather than digital, and the OCR PDF tool is the right next step for turning those page images into text.
How to use this tool
Open the tool in Edge or Chrome, pick your PDF from File Explorer, and the text extracts automatically. Click Download .txt to save it, or copy it into Notepad or Word.
How It Works
Step-by-step guide to convert a pdf to txt on windows:
- 1
Open the tool in your browser
Launch FixTools PDF to Text in Edge, Chrome, or Firefox on Windows. It loads as a web page with nothing to install.
- 2
Choose the PDF
Click the upload area and select the PDF from File Explorer or your Downloads. The file loads into the browser, not to a server.
- 3
Read the text layer
The tool uses pdf.js to collect the selectable text from every page and shows it in a box with the page and character count.
- 4
Save the .txt file
Click Download .txt. The file saves to your Downloads folder named after your PDF, ready to open in Notepad.
- 5
Or copy to paste
Use Copy text to grab the whole result, then paste it into Notepad, Word, WordPad, or an email.
Real-world examples
Common situations where this approach makes a real difference:
Locked-down work PC
An employee on a managed Windows laptop cannot install software but can open a browser tab to pull text from a report.
Into Notepad
A user drops the text from a PDF into Notepad to strip all formatting before pasting it somewhere clean.
Faster than Edge select
Someone extracts a long document in one pass instead of scrolling and selecting page by page in Edge.
Quick Word draft
A writer copies the words from a PDF brief into Word to start editing without retyping.
Pro tips
Get better results with these expert suggestions:
Any modern browser works
Edge, Chrome, and Firefox all run the tool on Windows, so use whichever is already open.
Open the .txt in Notepad
Right-click the downloaded file and choose Open with Notepad for a clean, format-free view of the words.
Use Ctrl and V to paste
After copying, paste into Notepad or Word with Ctrl and V. Notepad drops all styling automatically.
Empty box means a scan
If no text appears, the PDF is image-only. Use the OCR PDF tool to recognise the characters instead.
Frequently asked questions
Related guides
More use-case guides for the same tool:
Related tools
Other tools you might find useful:
OCR PDF
Pull text from scanned or image-only PDFs that have no text layer.
PDF to Word
Convert to an editable document when you need the formatting kept.
TXT to PDF
Turn a plain text file back into a shareable PDF.
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Ready to get started?
Open PDF to Txt to review its free limits and processing method.
Open PDF to Txt →Free tier · No account needed · Transparent limits