Content

• Steps
• Warning

This article teaches you how to password protect Excel spreadsheets and find out the password for encrypted Excel files. Note that while it is relatively easy to remove a password from a locked spreadsheet with editing functionality, you cannot remove a password from an encrypted file and you need to use a paid program to guess the password. - This may take a few weeks or longer to complete.

Steps

Method 1 of 2: Remove password protection from worksheet

1. 

   File Explorer (or press ⊞ Win+E).
2. Click See (View).
3. Check the box "File name extensions".

4. 

   
   
   Convert the Excel file into a ZIP folder in the following way:
   • Windows Right-click the Excel file, click Change name (Rename), delete the "xlsx" extension of the filename and import zip. Make sure you keep the period between the filename and the "zip". Press ↵ Enter, then click Yes when asked.
   • Mac Click the Excel file, click File, click Watch information (Get Info), delete the "xlsx" extension of the filename and import zip. Make sure you keep the period between the filename and the "zip". Press ⏎ Return, then click Use .zip (Use.zip) when asked.

5. 

   
   
   Extract the ZIP folder. This step will vary depending on your computer's operating system:
   • Windows - Right click on the ZIP folder, select Unzip all ... (Extract All…) in the selection list, click Decompression (Extract) when asked to extract the folder.
   • Mac - Double-click the ZIP folder and wait for your computer to unzip the folder.

6. 

   
   
   Open the "xl" folder by double-clicking it in the unzipped folder.
   • If the unzipped folder doesn't open for some reason, double-click the regular folder with the same name as the ZIP folder first.

7. 

   
   
   Open the "worksheets" folder near the top of the "xl" folder.

8. 

   Open the spreadsheet with a text editor. Depending on your computer's operating system, you would do the following:
   • Windows - Right-click on the worksheet you want to unlock (Such as "Sheet1"), select Open with (Open with) in the drop-down menu and click Notepad menu just displayed.
   • Mac Click the worksheet you want to unlock (such as "Sheet1"), click File, choose Open with (Open with) and click TextEdit.

9. 

   
   
   Remove password protection code. Find the "sheetProtection" section in the "<>" sign, then delete the word "") on the other side of the spreadsheet protection algorithm.

10. 

    
    
    Save changes and close the text editor. Press Ctrl+S (on Windows) or ⌘ Command+S (on the Mac), then click X (or red circle on Mac) in the right corner of the text editor.

11. 

    Copy the folder "worksheets". Click the "Back" button to return to the "xl" folder, then click the "worksheets" folder and press Ctrl+C (on Windows) or ⌘ Command+C (on Mac).

12. 

    Open the ZIP folder. Double-click the ZIP folder that you created earlier.

13. 

    Replace the "worksheets" folder of the ZIP folder with the directory you copied. Access the "worksheets" folder of the ZIP folder by double-clicking on the "xl" folder, then deleting the "worksheets" folder, clicking an empty space in the current folder and pressing Ctrl+V (on Windows) or ⌘ Command+V (on Mac). This will paste the "worksheets" folder just copied into the ZIP folder.

14. 

    Convert the ZIP folder to an Excel file. Close the ZIP folder, and do the following:
    • Windows - Double click on the ZIP folder, click Change name, replace "zip" with "xlsx" and press ↵ Enter. Click Yes when asked.
    • Mac Click on the ZIP folder, click File, click Watch information, replace "zip" in the name with "xlsx" and press ⏎ Return. Click Use.xlsx when asked.

15. 

    Open the Excel spreadsheet by double-clicking, and then edit as you like.
    • If you get a message that says the Excel spreadsheet has been corrupted, you may have removed any additional codes when you wanted to remove the password protection algorithm. Please repeat the above steps, make sure just remove curly braces () and the text inside.
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Method 2 of 2: Cracking Excel file password

1. 

   Understand that you may be unsuccessful in cracking your password. New versions of Excel, such as Excel 2013 and 2016 use advanced encryption techniques that make password guessing methods used in most cracking software useless because of the time it takes to cracking passwords. password (can take anywhere from a few weeks to several years depending on the complexity of the password).
   • You cannot unlock an Excel file without purchasing the jailbreak software, as the free versions of the jailbreak software usually only apply to the 2010 Excel version.

2. 

   Make sure the Excel file has a security code set. If the Excel file is actually encrypted, double-clicking the file will require you to enter the password before you can view the contents of the file.
   • If double-clicking the Excel file opens the Excel spreadsheet, editing is locked for the Excel file only. If so, you can use the previous method to unlock it.

3. 

   Buy an Excel jailbreak software. Since you cannot remove a password from an Excel file, you will need to use a paid software to find the password and then import it into the file.
   • Passware Excel Key is a popular password cracking software that can be applied to Excel 2016 version.
   • Accent Excel Password Recovery and Rixler Excel Password Recovery Master are other options, but only applicable until Excel 2013 version.

4. 

   Install and open password cracking software. This procedure will vary depending on your computer's software and operating system, but in most cases you'll download the setup file, double-click it, then follow the on-screen instructions and open the software. software after the installation is completed.

5. 

   Select the Excel file. Using the password cracking interface, find the Excel file, click to select and click Open (Open) or Choose (Choose).
   • Again, this step will be different depending on the password cracking software selected. For example, if you are using Passware Excel Key, you must click it Remove password (Remove a password) before you can select the file.

6. 

   Run jailbreak software. If necessary, click the button Begin (Start) or Run (Run) in the password cracking window to start the password cracking of the Excel file.
   • Here you can choose how the password is handled (eg brute-force).

7. 

   Wait for results. However, the guessing method can take from a few hours to several months to find the password of the Excel file.Depending on the contents of the Excel file, it's a good idea to give up the search effort if you can't find the password after a day.
   • If the password cracking software finds the password, the screen will display a window with the password. You can enter that password in the box displayed when you open the Excel file.
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Warning

• In most cases, you cannot crack the password of an encrypted Excel file.
• Microsoft cannot recover an Excel password that you forgot.