How to Remove Password from Excel Sheet ?

[Jackery998]

I have an Excel sheet that has a password protection feature enabled. However, I have forgotten the password and I cannot access any of the data within the sheet. I need to remove the password from Excel sheet so that I can access and modify the data within it. I have tried various methods such as guessing the password, using online tools, and even using a macro to remove the password. However, none of these methods have been successful so far.

Therefore, I am looking for advice on how to remove the password from Excel sheet so that I can continue to work on the data within it. Thank you in advance.

[#2]

This discussion with 3.2 million views might help:
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/excel/how-to-unprotect-the-excel-sheet-if-forgot-the-password...

[#3 · Accepted solution]

@Jackery998 

Hello, sounds like you're in a bit of a pickle! Bummer about forgetting that password, but hey, we've all been there. Let me see if I can help you out. :smiling_face_with_smiling_eyes:

Alright, so if the usual tricks didn’t do the trick for you, let's try another method:

Removing Excel Password via Zip Technique:

1. Backup First!: Before we dive in, always make a backup of your Excel file. Just in case things go sideways.

2. Change Extension:

   • Find your Excel file in File Explorer (wherever you saved it).
   • Rename the file extension from .xlsx to .zip. For example, if your file was named superSecretData.xlsx, rename it to superSecretData.zip.

3. Dive into the Zip:

   • Open the newly renamed .zip file.
   • Go to the xl > worksheets folder. Here, you'll see a bunch of files corresponding to the sheets in your Excel file, like sheet1.xml, sheet2.xml, etc.

4. Find & Delete Protection:

   • Open the .xml file that corresponds to the protected sheet with any text editor (Notepad will do).
   • Look for a tag that looks something like this: <sheetProtection ... />.
   • Delete that entire tag.

5. Back to Excel:

   • Once you've removed the tag, save and close the text editor.
   • Rename the .zip file back to .xlsx.

6. Open & Celebrate:

   • Open your Excel file. The sheet should be unprotected now!

If this method doesn't work you can also try third-party tool like Dr.Excel:

https://www.iseepassword.com/blog/how-to-remove-password-from-microsoft-excel-password/

I hope this helps you out. Remember, passwords are there for a reason (mostly to annoy us, I swear! ;p), so once you've unlocked your sheet, maybe jot down any new passwords somewhere safe. Good luck! :four_leaf_clover: