Password Protected Excel Workbook - Forgotten Password

Copper Contributor

A coworker has password protected my workbook in Excel.  I am able to unprotect specific sheets of my workbook, but cannot unprotect the workbook as a whole.  He forgot the password and did not realize it was not necessary.  Is there a way to remove the workbook password without recreating this wheel?  Thank you for your input.

6 Replies
You can edit the underlying xml of the workbook to remove the protection
HOW DO I DO THIS?
please, could ypu help me? i dont know how can i do this
Which protection are we talking about? The one invoked by the button on the Review tab? Or the one where you have to know the password to be able to open the file?

@BevGoetz 

This information may help you further

Password options

 

@JKPieterse 

 

i forgot my password for an excel workbook I was working on, it’s for my work and it’s very important. 

can someone help me unlock it ?😥