How can I remove password protection from excel file in Windows 11?

If you are looking to remove password protection from Excel file (specifically a modern .xlsx file) on Windows 11, here are more relevant methods:

1. If you know the password: The simplest and most secure way is to open the file with the password, then go to File > Info > Protect Workbook > Encrypt with Password, delete the password, and save the file. You can also use the "Save As" option, click "Tools" > "General Options," and clear the password fields.

2. If you have forgotten the password: For modern Excel files that use strong AES encryption, there is no simple "backdoor" or tool like xlcrack that can instantly remove the protection . Instead, specialized password recovery software is required. These programs use methods like "Brute-Force" or "Dictionary" attacks to try to guess the password, which can take a very long time.

Here's what the search results reveal about xlcrack if you are going to remove password protection from Excel:

It's for Legacy Files Only: The tool's primary function is to recover lost passwords from old .xls files, specifically those saved by Excel 95 . Its method relies on a simple XOR encryption algorithm that was common in older Microsoft Office applications, making it obsolete for today's standards.

Linux Environment: While it might be possible to run it on Windows, the search results indicate xlcrack is distributed as a package for the Fedora Linux operating system. This suggests it is not a native Windows application.