ExcelTutorials

Remove Password from Excel or Unprotected Excel

3 Mins read

How to remove password from excel spreadsheet or Unprotect Excel Spreadsheet without using any software or Password Remover. So what it includes?

This includes changing the file extension and manipulating its constituents to get an unprotected excel file or unlock an excel file.

Almost ALL Excel users wish at some point or the other felt the need for some magic to โ€œUnprotect Excel Sheetโ€ password so that they can see the formula and make changes. How to break excel password?

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Method 1: Remove Password From Excel Spreadsheet?

Please note that this hack is to unprotect an excel worksheet and not the excel workbook password. Click here to know more

A lot of us take the help of Google. You are redirected to 100โ€™s of sites who ask you to download some software.

  1. Some of those software apps will display only the first 2 or 3 characters of the Excel password (trial version).
  2. Some will install interesting pictures and set your default browser homepage to some โ€œone who canโ€™t be namedโ€ website. You get the drift!
  3. Some (paid versions) will display many hours of computing time to crack the Excel password in case the password is not a simple dictionary word. (BTW dictionary word passwords can be easily cracked using a technique called โ€œDictionary attackโ€. Rest needs โ€œBrute Force attackโ€ technique) but nothing will match the MS Office Training we provide you.

Steps to Remove Password from Excel

To remove password from Excel follow below steps,

Excel Password Remover

Step 1: Enable display of file extension names

This will be required to change the file extension. For example from Budget.xlsx to Budget.zip and back to Budget.xlsx.

[โ€œControl Panelโ€ โ€“ โ€œFolder Optionsโ€ โ€“ โ€œViewโ€ tab โ€“ Uncheck โ€œHide Extension for known file typeโ€]

Control-Panel-Select-Folder-Options-Unprotect
Folder-Options-View-Hide-extension-file-types

Step 2: Change the extension of your Excel file from .xlsx to .zip

Change-Extension-xlsx-to-zip-Unprotect-Sheet

Step 3: Open the zipped file and extract the relevant XML file from the zipped file and follow the picture trail

Open-zipped-file-extract-XML-file

Extract these XML files outside the folder. They represent the worksheets in the Excel file. Modified codes using simple โ€œNotepadโ€. The modified XML file should be put again in the zipped file to replace the old XML files.

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Step 4: Open the XML file in notepad and delete the following tags marked in double-quotes below

v. 2007-10 โ€“ โ€œsheetProtection password=โ€ฆ />โ€ | v. 2013 โ€“ โ€œsheetProtection algorithmName=โ€ฆ/>โ€

Open-XML-file-in-a-Notepad-Unprotect-sheet

Now save the XML file and put it back in the zipped folder from the extracted location. It will replace the original XML files.

Step 5: Close the zipped file and change the extension back to .xlsx (reverse of Step 2 above)

Enjoy the GLORY, my friend ๐Ÿ™‚ โ€“ The relevant sheets for which corresponding modified XML files will not ask for any Excel password anymore Itโ€™s this simple to remove password from excel.

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Summary:

How to Unprotect an Excel Spreadsheet?

To unprotect an excel spreadsheet, follow step by step below process,

Step 1: Go to Control panel

Step 2: Folder Options

Step 3: View Tab

Step 4: Uncheck โ€œHide Extension for the known file typeโ€

Step 5: Change the extension of your Excel file from .xlsx to .zip

Step 6: Open Zip File & Extract

Step 7: Open XML File & Delete Excel v. 2007-10 โ€œsheetProtection password=โ€ฆ />โ€ v. 2013 โ€“ โ€œsheetProtection algorithmName=โ€ฆ/>โ€

Step 8: Save & Close Xml File

Step 9: Save Zip File

Step 10: Run File

Method 2: Unprotect Excel sheet by uploading it to Google Sheets

Whenever you try to edit a protected sheet workbook you get error like below. Isnโ€™t it?

You can simply solve this problem using this method. Yes, you have heard right. Another way to unprotect a MS Excel sheet is by uploading it to Google Sheets and downloading it as a .xlsx extension. Here you go you will get all unprotected Microsoft Excel sheets without doing anything.
To learn more. Follow the below steps.

Note: To practice with us. We have shared the Excel sheet. You can download it from the link below

Click here…

Step 1: Upload Microsoft Excel Workbook into Google Sheets

1. Go to your browser and type in the search bar >> sheet.new

It will create a new blank Google Sheets

Blank Google Sheets

2. Click on File >> Import >> Upload

3. Excel File uploaded successfully

Step 2: Download uploaded file as Microsoft Excel (.xlsx)

1. Click on File >> Download >> Microsoft Excel (.xlsx)

2. Now open the downloaded Excel file

3. Now edit anything in any sheets

As a result, we saw 2 methods for unprotecting Microsoft Excel workbook sheets

To learn 3rd method of unprotecting Excel Worksheet using VBA then follow the below link:

Click here

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