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 “Unprotect Excel Sheet” 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 100’s of sites who ask you to download some software.
- Some of those software apps will display only the first 2 or 3 characters of the Excel password (trial version).
- Some will install interesting pictures and set your default browser homepage to some “one who can’t be named” website. You get the drift!
- 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 “Dictionary attack”. Rest needs “Brute Force attack” 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,
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.
[“Control Panel” – “Folder Options” – “View” tab – Uncheck “Hide Extension for known file type”]
Step 2: Change the extension of your Excel file from .xlsx to .zip
Step 3: Open the zipped file and extract the relevant XML file from the zipped file and follow the picture trail
Extract these XML files outside the folder. They represent the worksheets in the Excel file. Modified codes using simple “Notepad”. 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 – “sheetProtection password=… />” | v. 2013 – “sheetProtection algorithmName=…/>”
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 🙂 – The relevant sheets for which corresponding modified XML files will not ask for any Excel password anymore It’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 “Hide Extension for the known file type”
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 “sheetProtection password=… />” v. 2013 – “sheetProtection algorithmName=…/>”
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. Isn’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
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
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:
works for workbooks similar
unable to understand how to remove/recover password or crack it from excel file
Thank you. It works & Instructions are straight forward
It doesn’t work for me…. I couldn’t find the mentioned text in the XML files!
Very nice tutorial
Thanks! Works wonders!
Thanks so much! You’ve saved my day!!!
Don’t know how I’d managed to finalise my report without your hack, as my predecessor was quite protective with his files and never thought about his retirement.
Thanks again. Daniela
Its Works very well , Thanks !!
Hi,
Request you to kindly let me know the steps for removing on Work Book for Office 2007 .
With Regards
Sunny
Many thanks for this great tip.
Q. Learn How to remove password from excel ?
A. In this blog, you will learn how to remove password from excel, but still if you face any issue with the tutorial. You can post your comment with your question on our facebook group. Our Excel Expert will solve your query.
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Excellent trick!!! Works very good, it saved me a lot of time!!!
i m unable to extract xml from zipped. file..
does this work?
excellent
Best suggestions I ever got. This is really simple on how to find duplicate values in excel.
My XML file does not have sheet protect
Did not work for me.
very easy and helpful. Thanks a lot!
It really word great. it helped me to change my file from xlsx to zip. Quick and Understandable
At the time of opening the .zip file it shows ‘Windows cannot open the folder. The Compressed(Zipped) Folder xxx.zip is invalid’.
Please check with your winzip or winrar file
I can’t find this word in excel sheet: protection, and how can i find and solve this problem i forgot the pass
Works really well! Thank you! I had to fiddle around a bit in order to save into zip-file, but after that it’s all good.
It works!!1 thank you so much!!!
You rock!!!
Awesome hack! Worked perfectly for me, just searched through all the xml & deleted the protection tags.
Great !!! it worked !! Many Thanks 🙂
Thanks it works 🙂
Perfect worked for me!
For 2016 works removing all Group
Thank you for this topic! It’s so helpful…
many thanks..flawless !
Doesnt work for me.
Can you reply and let me know what is not working for you? Which Excel Version are you using?