Best Excel password remover for Mac as I forgot Excel password

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For some older Excel files on Mac, a VBA macro can be used to remove worksheet protection when the file can be opened but editing is blocked. This method is mainly intended for older Excel versions and can help users who need to remove password from excel on mac when dealing with simple sheet protection.

Open the Excel file, then press Option + F11 to launch the VBA editor. Select Insert → Module, paste the following code, and press F5 to run the macro.

Sub UnprotectSheet()
    Dim i As Long, j As Long, k As Long
    Dim l As Long, m As Long, n As Long
    On Error Resume Next
    For i = 65 To 66: For j = 65 To 66: For k = 65 To 66
    For l = 65 To 66: For m = 65 To 66: For n = 65 To 66
        ActiveSheet.Unprotect Chr(i) & Chr(j) & Chr(k) & _
            Chr(l) & Chr(m) & Chr(n)
    Next: Next: Next: Next: Next: Next
    MsgBox "Protection removed (or already removed)"
End Sub

After the macro finishes, the sheet protection may be removed if the file uses an older protection method. This approach can be useful when trying to remove password from excel on mac for legacy Excel documents, but it does not work reliably with newer Excel encryption systems.

By bypassing worksheet protection during file parsing, OpenOffice Calc offers an offline desktop solution that allows you to remove password from excel on mac without uploading your confidential data to the cloud.

How to Remove Password from Excel on Mac

1. Visit the official website to download and install the version for macOS.
2. Launch the software from the Applications folder on your Mac.
3. Click File > Open, then select your password-protected Excel file.
4. The software will automatically bypass worksheet protection, making all locked cells editable.
5. After making any necessary changes to the spreadsheet, click File > Save As.
6. Select Microsoft Excel format as the output format, rename the file, and save the unlocked copy to your local drive.

Drawbacks

• Primarily optimized for older .xls files; complex, newer .xlsx files may lose formatting or formulas
• Cannot bypass workbook open passwords; can only remove worksheet-level edit protection
• The software package takes up a significant amount of disk space and consumes more system resources than lightweight, dedicated unlocking tools
• After resaving, advanced Excel features such as macros and PivotTables are often corrupted

This open-source spreadsheet editor offers a simple offline workflow that requires no scripts or paid software. It is suitable for Mac Office users who simply need to unlock worksheets for editing; however, compared to the older .xls format, its compatibility and performance when handling modern .xlsx files are significantly reduced.

ps

• Be sure to back up your files before proceeding.
• Works only with older .xls spreadsheets; it does not work well with newer .xlsx files.
• Cannot process files that are password-protected with a “Open with Full Workbook” password.
• Before importing the original Excel file into the software, close the file completely to prevent read errors on a Mac.

This is a great way to quickly remove Excel sheet protection on Mac without paying for dedicated desktop software. It essentially lets you erase worksheet edit passwords in just a few lines of Python code by modifying the internal protection parameters of the Excel file, allowing you to immediately unlock locked spreadsheets and take action to edit restricted cells freely, and it works perfectly as an Excel password remover for Mac.

Usage Guide: Download and install the official Python installer for Mac first, then launch Terminal and run the command pip install openpyxl to finish library installation. Next, create a plain text file and paste the dedicated unlock script code below:

from openpyxl import load_workbook
wb = load_workbook('protected.xlsx')
sheet = wb.active
sheet.protection.sheet = False
sheet.protection.password = None
wb.save('unprotected.xlsx')

Save the file with a .py suffix, and place the password-locked protected.xlsx file in the same directory as the script. Execute the script via Terminal, and a brand new unprotected.xlsx file will be generated automatically. This method requires no commercial software purchase and swiftly helps you strip worksheet editing locks, acting as a fully offline Excel password remover for Mac to handle protected Excel spreadsheets safely without uploading your confidential data online.

It is particularly useful for removing sheet-level protection in bulk Excel files, preparing editable tables for data analysis work, or troubleshooting scenarios where you lost the sheet edit password and cannot modify cell content on Mac devices.

Google Sheets is a cloud-based spreadsheet service that serves as a convenient online Excel password remover for Mac, allowing you to unlock protected Excel worksheets without installing any additional desktop software. It automatically removes all worksheet lock restrictions when parsing the file.

How to Use the Excel Password Remover for Mac

Step 1: Sign in to your Google Drive account on your Mac using any browser.

Step 2: Upload the password-protected Excel file to Google Drive.

Step 3: Right-click the uploaded file, select Open with..., and then choose Google Sheets.

Step 4: Since Google Sheets ignores all protection settings from the original Excel worksheet, you can edit it freely.

Step 5: Go to the File menu at the top, then click “Download.”

Step 6: Select the Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) format to export the unlocked spreadsheet

Finally, save the new, unprotected Excel file to a local folder on your Mac

This cloud-based solution runs stably and reliably, and requires no installation. It is suitable for Mac users who occasionally need to unlock protected Excel worksheets, but it carries inherent privacy risks associated with data uploads.

Pros

• Instantly unlocks protected Excel worksheets without the original password
• Fully compatible with all versions of macOS
• Fully preserves the original table layout, formulas, and cell formatting after unlocking

Cons

• Requires uploading Excel files to Google Cloud servers, which may lead to data privacy breaches
• Complex macros, custom VBA scripts, and rare Excel formats may be lost during the conversion process
• Requires a stable internet connection; cannot remove passwords offline
• Cannot remove workbook open passwords; only supports removing worksheet-level edit protection

If the file only has editing restrictions (not an open-password) and you're the owner but forgot the specific unprotect password.

How to remove password from excel on mac

1. Duplicate the file first as a backup.

2. Rename the copy's extension from .xlsx to .zip.

3. Unzip it, then open the xl/worksheets/sheet1.xml (or relevant sheet file) in a text editor.

4. Find and delete the <sheetProtection .../> tag.

5. Re-zip the folder and rename it back to .xlsx.

This only works for sheet/workbook protection (not an open-password), and you must have legitimate rights to the file.

Remove it directly in Excel (if you know the excel password.)

This is the easiest method to remove password from excel on mac if you can open the file:

Step 1: Open the workbook and enter the password.

Step 2: Go to Review tab → Protect Sheet or Protect Workbook, and click Unprotect (or Stop Protecting).

Step 3: If it's a password required to open the file (not just edit), go to File → Save As, then in the save dialog click File Format options / the security options button, clear the password fields, and save.

A couple of practical notes:

Newer versions of Excel for Mac sometimes tuck this under File → Save As → File Format: Excel Workbook (.xlsx) → Options rather than a single visible button — the label can shift slightly between versions, so look for "General Options" or a small "Options" link near the bottom of the Save As dialog.

This method only works if you already know the current password without using an excel password remover on mac as Excel won't let you strip a password you can't first unlock.