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If you have ever forgotten a password for an Excel sheet, you know how frustrating it can be. Luckily, there are a few ways to unprotect an Excel sheet without the password. In this article, we will show you many methods to unprotect Excel sheet without password.
But before learning to uprotect Excel sheet password, it’s necessary to know about Excel worksheet protection. Excel worksheet protection is a feature in the Microsoft Office suite that allows users to protect their worksheets from accidental or unauthorized modification. By default, all cells in a worksheet are locked, and users must unlock cells before they can make changes.
There are two types of protection in Excel:
1. Worksheet protection: This protects the worksheet from being modified. To protect a worksheet, select it, then click the "Review" tab and click "Protect Sheet." In the "Protect Sheet" dialog box, you can specify which cells can be edited and what type of changes can be made.
2. Workbook protection: This protects the entire workbook from being modified. To protect a workbook, click the "Review" tab and click "Protect Workbook." In the "Protect Workbook" dialog box, you can specify which sheets can be edited and what type of changes can be made.
Worksheet and workbook protection are both optional, but they can be useful if you want to prevent accidental or unauthorized changes to your data.
Why Is Excel Opening in Protected View?
There are a few reasons why Excel might open a file in Protected View. One reason is that the file came from an untrusted source, such as the internet, and Protected View is a way to help protect your computer from potentially malicious content. Another reason might be that the file has been damaged or corrupted in some way, and Protected View is a way to help prevent you from accidentally opening a damaged or corrupted file.
If you’re certain that the file you’re trying to open is safe and not corrupted, you can choose to disable Protected View. However, this is not recommended, as it leaves your computer vulnerable to potentially malicious content. If you do choose to disable Protected View, be sure to exercise caution when opening files from untrusted sources, and only open files that you are certain are safe.
Why Is My Shared Excel File Locked?
If you are trying to open a shared Excel file and it is locked, it could be for a few reasons. First, check to see if the file is set to read-only. If it is, you will not be able to edit the file unless you change the permissions. To do this, open the file, click on the "File" tab, and then click on "Properties." Under the "General" tab, you will see an option for "Read-only recommended." If this is checked, uncheck it and click "OK."
If the file is not set to read-only, then it is likely that another user has the file open and is currently editing it. In this case, you will need to wait until they are finished before you can edit the file. If you try to open the file while someone else has it open, you will receive an error message saying that the file is locked.
If you are the one who has the file open and locked, you can unlock it by clicking on the "File" tab and then clicking on "Info." Under the "Protect Workbook" section, you will see an option for "Lock structure." If this is checked, uncheck it and click "OK."
How to Unprotect An Excel Worksheet with Password?
There are a couple of different ways that you can unprotect an Excel worksheet if you know the password. One method is to use the built-in Unprotect Sheet feature in Excel. To do this, simply go to the Review tab, click on the Protect Sheet button, and then enter the password when prompted.
Another method is to use a VBA script to remove the password protection. This can be done by opening the Visual Basic Editor (VBE) and then running the following code:
Sub RemovePassword()
ActiveSheet.Unprotect "password"
End Sub
Of course, you will need to replace "password" with the actual password that is protecting the sheet.
There are a couple of things to keep in mind if you are going to use this method. First, it is important to note that this will only work if you know the password. If you do not know the password, then there is no way to remove the protection. Second, this method will only work if the worksheet is protected with a password. If the worksheet is not password protected, then this method will not work.
Ways to Unprotect an Excel Wordksheet without Password?
There are a couple of ways to unprotect an Excel spreadsheet if you don’t have the password. One way is to use a password recovery tool. These tools can brute force the password, which means they try every possible combination until they find the right one. This can take a while, but if you’re patient, it will eventually work.
Option 1. Unprotect Excel Sheet without Password using Dr.Excel
D.Excel is a software program that can be used to unlock and edit protected Excel spreadsheets. It is designed to work with both password-protected and locked files, and can remove both types of protection with ease.
How do I unprotect an Excel spreadsheet using Dr.Excel?
1. Download and install Dr.Excel on your computer.
2. Open the protected Excel spreadsheet that you wish to edit in Dr.Excel.
3. Click on the “Unprotect” button in the software program.
4. Enter the password for the spreadsheet, if prompted.
5. Save the unprotected spreadsheet.
Option 2. Unprotect Excel Sheet without Password using VBA code
If you have forgotten the password for an Excel sheet, there is no need to panic. There are a few ways to unprotect an Excel sheet without the password. One method is to use a macro, or Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) code.
To unprotect an Excel sheet with a macro, follow these steps:
1. Open the workbook that contains the protected sheet.
2. Press Alt+F11 to open the Visual Basic Editor.
3. In the Project Explorer, double-click the workbook name to open the Code window.
4. In the Code window, select the worksheet you want to unprotect.
5. On the menu bar, click Insert, and then click Module.
6. In the Module Code window, enter the following code:
Sub Unprotect()
ActiveSheet.Unprotect Password:="yourpassword"
End Sub
7. To run the macro, press F5.
The macro will unprotect the sheet and you will be able to edit it without a password.
Option 3. How to Unprotect Excel Sheet without Password Online
If you have lost your password for an Excel sheet, you can use an online service to unlock it. Below are the steps to do this:
1. Go to a website that offers Excel password recovery services, such as LostMyPass.com.
2. Upload your encrypted Excel file to the website.
3. Enter your password hint and click the "Recover Password" button.
4. Wait for the website to process your file and reveal your password.
5. Copy your password and use it to unlock your Excel sheet.
Overall, using an online password recovery service is a quick and easy way to unlock an Excel sheet if you have lost your password. However, there are a few potential downsides to keep in mind before using this method.
- First, there is no guarantee that the website will be able to decrypt your file.
- Second, the password recovery process can take a long time, depending on the size and complexity of your file.
- Finally, there is a fee charged for this service.
Option 4. Unlock Excel Sheets without Password using Google Sheets
If you have an Excel spreadsheet that is password protected and you want to unlock it without the password, you can do so using Google Sheets.
Here are the steps:
1. Go to https://docs.google.com/ and sign in with your Google account.
2. Click on the “My Drive” option in the left sidebar.
3. Click on the “Upload files” button in the top right corner.
4. Select the password protected Excel spreadsheet from your computer.
5. Click on the “Open” button.
6. The spreadsheet will now be uploaded to your Google Drive account.
7. Next, go to https://sheetunlocker.com/ and sign up for a free account.
8. Click on the “Choose file” button and select the Excel spreadsheet that you just uploaded to your Google Drive account.
9. Enter the password for the spreadsheet and click on the “Unlock” button.
10. The sheet will now be unlocked and you will be able to view and edit it without a password.
Option 5. How to Unprotect Excel Sheet without Password Using ZIP
If you lost your password for an Excel sheet and need to unprotect it, there is a way to do it using a ZIP file. This method works because when you password protect an Excel sheet, the password is stored in the file as a hash. When you open a ZIP file, the hash is not checked, so you can replace the password hash with a different one and the file will open without a password.
Here are the steps to unprotect an Excel sheet using a ZIP file:
1. Open the ZIP file in a text editor like Notepad.
2. Find the line that starts with "PK" and contains the word "xl/workbook.xml".
3. Copy the line that contains the word "sheetProtection".
4. Paste the line into a new text file and save it as "sheetprotection.xml".
5. Open the XML file in a text editor and delete the line that contains the word "sheetProtection".
6. Save the XML file and close it.
7. Add the XML file to the ZIP file, replacing the old one.
8. Save the ZIP file and close it.
9. Open the Excel file. It should open without a password.
There are a few things to keep in mind when using this method. First, the XML file must be in the same directory as the Excel file. Second, this method will not work if the Excel file is password protected.
Option 6. How to Unprotect Excel Sheet without Password Using Hex Editing
If you have forgotten the password to an Excel sheet and need to unprotect it, you can do so by hex editing the file. Hex editing is a way to directly edit the underlying structure of a file. In the case of an Excel sheet, this means editing the sheet’s XML code. By editing the code, you can remove the password protection from the sheet. Hex editing is a relatively advanced process and you will need to have a good understanding of how hexadecimal values work. If you are not comfortable with hex editing, you may want to consider using a password recovery tool.
To hex edit an Excel file, you will need to open it in a hex editor. There are a number of hex editors available, both free and paid. We recommend using a free hex editor such as HxD or XVI32.
1. Download and install a Hex Editor onto your computer. There are a few different options available, but we recommend HxD.
2. Open the Hex Editor and then open the protected Excel file that you want to unprotect.
3. Once you have opened the file in the hex editor, you will need to locate the password protection flag. This flag is typically located near the beginning of the file. In the screenshot below, you can see the password protection flag highlighted in red.
3. Find the section of the file that says "DPB=" and delete it.
4. Save the file and then try to open it in Excel. The password protection should now be removed.
Keep in mind that this process will only work if the sheet was protected with a simple password. If the sheet was protected with a strong password, it cannot be removed in this manner.
Summary
Excel sheets can be locked for a variety of reasons. The most common reason is to protect the sheet from accidental or intentional modification. If you have a locked Excel sheet and you do not know the password, there are a few ways to unlock it.
Unlocking a locked Excel sheet can be a time-consuming process, but it is possible. If you do not know the password, then your best bet is to use a password recovery tool or a macro. Of course, the easiest way to unprotect an Excel spreadsheet is to just ask the person who protected it in the first place. If they’re willing to give you the password, then you won’t need to go through all of this trouble.