Before you start
- A PC running 64-bit Windows 10 or 11. ARM PCs (Snapdragon, for example) need Windows 11.
- Administrator rights to run the setup or the MSI — or use the portable version if you don’t have them.
- The licence key you were emailed: a
.pdfkeyfile, or text that starts withPDFS1. - An internet connection once, to activate. No connection at all? See activating without a network.
1. Choose and download
On the download page there are three formats for each kind of processor. The page recognises your PC and marks the matching card “Your PC”.
| Format | Best for | Licence |
|---|---|---|
| Setup (.exe) | The usual choice for one PC. Also supports a silent install. | Every user on the PC |
| MSI package | IT departments: Intune, Group Policy, Configuration Manager. | Every user on the PC |
| Portable (.zip) | No installation and no admin rights: unzip and run. | The current user only |
certutil -hashfile PDF-Studio-Setup-1.3.0-x64.exe SHA2562. Install
- Run the setup. If “Windows protected your PC” appears, choose More info, then Run anyway — after checking the checksum.
- Approve the administrator prompt, accept the licence agreement, and choose a folder or keep the default.
- Setup adds a “PDF Studio by ElixTechs” shortcut (“PDF Studio by NMTeches” in 1.2.0 and earlier) to the desktop and the Start menu, and makes the app the default for opening PDF files — unless you chose another app in Windows Settings, in which case your choice stays.
Installing a newer version over an older one upgrades it in place, keeping your settings, signatures and activation.
3. Activate
- Open the app. If it isn’t activated yet, the activation screen appears straight away.
- Open the
.pdfkeyfile or paste the whole key, then press Activate (or Ctrl+Enter). - The app contacts the licence server and registers this PC against one of your licence’s seats. That’s it.
Did your IT department install it for you? The key was most likely applied machine-wide during installation, and the app activates on first launch without you doing anything.
4. Your first document
Every tool works the same way. For example, merging several files into one:
- Press Ctrl+T for All Tools, and choose Merge PDF under Organize.
- Add the files and drag them into the order you want.
- Press Merge and choose where to save. A new file is written; your originals are never changed.
Shortcuts worth remembering
| Ctrl+O | Open a PDF |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+T | All tools |
| Ctrl+E | Edit PDF |
| Ctrl+H | History |
| Ctrl+, | Settings |
| Ctrl+F · F3 | Find in the document, and step through matches |
| Ctrl+W · Ctrl+Tab | Close the tab, and switch tabs |
| Ctrl+P | |
| Ctrl+B | Show or hide the sidebar |
| F1 | User guide |
5. Optional add-ons
Every tool works straight after installation. Three add-ons can be downloaded when you need them, from Settings ▸ Optional upgrades. They install inside the user’s PDF Studio folder, without changing the system:
| Add-on | What it adds | Size |
|---|---|---|
| Tesseract OCR | OCR in Arabic and 100+ other languages. After installing it, pick languages under Settings ▸ OCR languages. | ≈ 110 MB |
| LibreOffice | Higher-fidelity Office conversion, and legacy .doc, .xls and .ppt files. | ≈ 1,100 MB |
| AI assistant | Summarise, translate, reword and Ask this PDF — on the PC itself. Also needs a model pack (1 to 4.4 GB). | ≈ 52 MB |
What next?
- The illustrated user guide — editing, signing, OCR and AI.
- Licensing and activation — moving to a new PC, and working offline.
- Troubleshooting — if you see a message you don’t understand.
Didn’t find what you need?
Check the FAQ, or write to us and we will reply within one working day.