How to remove password from Excel or Unprotect an Excel

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 of 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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Please note that this hack is to unprotect an excel worksheet and not the excel workbook password

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

1) Some of those software apps will display only 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 “one who can’t be named” 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 “Dictionary attack”. Rest needs “Brute Force attack” technique) but nothing will match the MS Office Training we provide you.

Unprotect an excel spreadsheet Steps:-

NOW, let me start taking you through the process of the GOD MODE Excel Password trick.

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. 

Step 4: Open the XML file in a 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.

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Last Step: 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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Read More: Don’t know how to freeze row and column in Excel? Click here

Summary: 

How to Unprotect an Excel Spreadsheet?


1. Go to Control panel
2. Folder Options
3. View Tab
4. Uncheck “Hide Extension for known file type”
5. Change the extension of your Excel file from .xlsx to .zip
6. Open Zip File & Extract
7. Open XML File & Delete  Excel v. 2007-10 “sheetProtection password=… />” v. 2013 – “sheetProtection algorithmName=…/>”
8. Save & Close Xml File
9. Save Zip File
10. Run File