Remove 'active contents' from PDF file that was converted from LaTeX?

Question

I recently rewrote my CV in LaTeX using Overleaf.com. Once I finished writing my CV in LaTeX, I downloaded it as a PDF. I'm now trying to upload my CV on brassring (careers website) and every time I select the PDF file I get the following error: 'The system does not allow files with active contents.' However if I try and upload my original CV that was written in Word it successfully uploads.

simarmannsingh · Answer

A quick and easy solution can be

Simply open your pdf file in any modern web browser, say Google Chrome.
Select 'Print' option to bring up the print menu.
Change the Destination as 'Save as pdf' (in Google Chrome)
Save the pdf in a new location on your system.

This uses Chrome's pdf wrapper which kind of repacks the pdf without any hyperlinks or Macros or perhaps any other active content.

LMB · Answer

In pretty much the same situation you described, I was able to "clean up"  the PDF using GhostScript (edited according to comments):

gs -dNOPAUSE -sDEVICE=pdfwrite -sOUTPUTFILE=clean.pdf -dBATCH dirty.pdf

The company website accepted clean.pdf without complaints.

user170109 · Answer

There are many embedded objects that can be flagged in a pdf with active content that may be seen by others as a threat in a pdf.

The simplest way to restructure to a dumbed down pdf is to use "windows print to pdf" to "reprint" as a simplified pdf much the same as you did for outputting word to pdf.

Remove 'active contents' from PDF file that was converted from LaTeX?

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