How to unprotect the excel sheet if forgot the password

Copper Contributor

Hi team need support to unprotect my sheet which is password protected and forgot the password

 

295 Replies
OMG, thank you!!! So easy and a GREAT tip!! Thanks again!! I love my Mac!! I've loved the Mac since it came out in the 80's. : )
I am getting the same problem. How did you get around it?
Works beautifully! Thanks!! But if I want to retrieve the password, is there any way?
Getting the below error:
Compile error
Syntax error
in the line starting .unprotect

Could you pls advise? Thanks

@NikolinoDE 

Please tell me to how to enter your so many lines code?  I forget my password on excel workbook, tried iSeepassword. by rename .zip, none of work.  If your method works, I would like to know how to enter those codes.  Thank you

From where to ALT+F11 ? on my desktop? it doesn't work. my excel is on my desktop, too.
Do I got locked if I try many times to enter password in excel? Someone said that I should try one by one passwords. I already tried many possible, but were wrong. Please advise, thank you
would you please let me know what was happened when I try to open .zip for my excel workbook? "Window can't open you folder" "The compressed the zipped folder is invalid"
Hi, How is the ExcelSupersite service? Didn't you send your workbook to the service to let them open for you? I tried many days, not able to open up. Please let me know, thank you.

@cery1999 hi, I am not an expert. I am facing the same problem and am looking for solution.

@cery1999 No, the file will not be blocked. But decryprion will be unsuccessful and Excel will ask to enter a valid password. All password crackers work following this principle: you set the range to be checked and they check all options from this range using conventional bruteforce searching for the valid password.
This is applied if you set a Password to Open, of course, but not a sheet password or VBA, and this topic is about it. ;)

@denglad what is your suggestion in my case.  I find out that I didn't forget the PW. another file that I open it everyday.  Yesterday, I made a copy rename by different date.  Today, none of these two files can be opened.  I wrote down the pw. and I updated every day. Now, it shut me down.  What should I do?  Please advise.  thank you

@NikolinoDE 

 

I think it gets stuck at

.Unprotect Chr(i) & Chr(j) & Chr(k) & Chr(l) & Chr(m) & _

Judging by your description, it’s not about standard Password to Open. Protection with encryption is simple: the key received from the password either decrypts data or not. It’s impossible to change it dynamically.
Perhaps, it’s a kind of custom data protection. At what stage are you asked to enter the password?

@denglad I went to Review, selected Protec Workbook. I entered a password, then confirm the password.  I did not select other box. I remember the box of Structure is checked by default. 

I did not write down pw. Next time to open with my memory, it told me a wrong pw. I tried many different digits, none of them works.  Do you have any idea or suggestion?  Please help. 

@Norman_Harker 

You can do this without losing your .xlsx features or using an old copy of Excel.

Before you do this take a copy of your file in case it goes wrong.

 

  1. Save the file as a template .xltr file
  2. Rename the file to .zip
  3. Extract the data with your preferred compression tool
  4. Navigate to the sheet.xml file relating to the protected sheet and open in a text editor
  5. Find and delete this section (everything between the < and the />
    Note the password here is encrypted and can't be entered to unlock the sheet.

 

 

 

<sheetProtection password="12345" sheet="1" objects="1" scenarios="1" selectLockedCells="1"/>​

 

 

 

6. Save the xml file

7. Zip up again and rename to .xltr

8. Open the file and save as .xlsx

9. Protect the sheet again with a more memorable password ;)

 

@VladValentineCC 

Thank you Vlad, Why I tried many times by double click .zip, error message: "zip is empty", or "is invalid" I have no way to keep processing. My excel file has 485kb.  where I did wrong?  Please advise.  Thank you

That is the error I had when I first renamed a .xlsx file to .zip
I just tried again renaming a .xlsx file and it unzipped fine.
I don't know the cause of the random error.
Check the file opens when named .xlsx or .xltr before renaming as .zip
Try running the zip tool and opening the file from inside the tool, I used BreeZIP from the MS Store.

@VladValentineCC 

Don't forget you can use this procedure to open a locked worksheet (possibly),

but you cannot open a workbook under any circumstances with this procedure.

 

Caution: If you create a password for a workbook, make a note of the password and keep it in a safe place. If you lose the password, you cannot open or access the password-protected workbook.

@NikolinoDE
I have tried the methods it does not help.

Can you please help?