How to Remove Password from Excel with or without Password

It's a situation many of us have faced: you're locked out of a critical Excel spreadsheet. Whether you've forgotten a password set years ago or inherited a protected file, it can bring your workflow to a halt. Fortunately, you have options.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through exactly how to remove a password from Excel, covering every common scenario. We'll start by identifying the type of protection on your file and then provide clear, step-by-step solutions, from the simple to the more advanced.

Part 1. What Kind of Password Are You Dealing With?

Before you can remove a password, you need to know what kind of lock you're trying to open. Excel uses several distinct types of password protection, and the removal method depends entirely on which one you're facing.

1. Password to Open (File Encryption)

This is the most secure type of password. When you try to open the file, Excel immediately prompts you for a password. Without it, you cannot see any of the file's contents. This method encrypts the entire workbook, making it the most difficult to bypass if forgotten.

2. Password to Modify (Write Protection)

When you open a file with this protection, Excel gives you a choice: enter the password to gain full editing access, or open the file in "Read-Only" mode. You can still view all the data, but you cannot save any changes to the original file without the password.

3. Password to Unprotect Sheet / Workbook

This type of password doesn't prevent you from opening or viewing the file. Instead, it locks the structure of the worksheet or workbook.

• Sheet Protection: Prevents changes to cells on a specific worksheet, like editing formulas or changing formatting.
• Workbook Protection: Prevents changes to the workbook's overall structure, such as adding, deleting, or renaming sheets.

Part 2. How to Remove Password from Excel when You Know the Password

If you have the password, removing it is simple and safe. This is the official method recommended by Microsoft and involves just a few clicks.

Method 1: To Remove a "Password to Open" (File Encryption)

Step 1. Open your Excel file and enter the password when prompted.

Step 2. Go to the File tab in the top-left corner.
Step 3. Select Info from the sidebar.
Step 4. Click on the Protect Workbook box. A dropdown menu will appear.
Step 5. Select Encrypt with Password.

Step 6. A dialog box will appear with the password field filled in. Clear the password field completely so it is empty.
Step 7. Click OK.

Step 8. Save the file. The next time you open it, Excel will no longer ask for a password.

Method 2: To Remove a "Password to Modify" or "Unprotect Sheet/Workbook"

Step 1. Open the Excel file. If it has a Password to Modify, enter it to gain full access.
Step 2. Navigate to the Review tab in the Excel ribbon.
Step 3. In the Protect group, you will see buttons labeled Unprotect Sheet or Unprotect Workbook. Click the relevant one.
Step 4. A small window will pop up asking for the password. Enter the password and click OK.

Step 5. The protection is now removed. Remember to Save the file to make the change permanent.

Part 3. How to Remove Password from Excel when You Forgot the Password

Forgetting a password is much more challenging, but not always a lost cause. The solution depends entirely on the type of password you've forgotten. It's crucial to understand that unprotecting a worksheet is possible, while bypassing a file-opening password is exceptionally difficult.

Method 1: Use TunesKit File Password Recovery to Remove Password from Excel

TunesKit File Password Recovery is a reliable software designed to recover, remove, or reset passwords on various files, including Excel spreadsheets. It is usually the optimal solution for removing Excel passwords due to its high success rate, ease of use, compatibility with different file types, and fast performance. The software utilizes advanced algorithms to ensure effective password resolution without data loss, making it ideal for professionals and casual users alike.

The following steps will show you how to remove password from Excel by using TunesKit File Password Recovery.

Step 1Download and Install Program

First, download and install TunesKit File Password Recovery on your computer. Launch the program and select Excel/Word/PPT. Select Recover Office Password.

Step 2Select a Mode to Remove Password

Drag and drop your Excel file to TunesKit File Password Recovery. Here you will need to select a mode to remove the password from the Excel file. After selecting a mode, click on the Start Recover button.

Step 3Recover and Remove Password from Excel

Then, TunesKit File Password Recovery will start to recover the password from the Excel. After a few minutes, you will get the correct password that can unlock the Excel. Just click on the Copy button to copy the password.

Method 2: The .ZIP File Extension Trick

This method works for modern .xlsx files because they are essentially a collection of XML files compressed into a ZIP archive. By editing the correct XML file, we can manually remove the protection tag.

Step 1. Make a copy of your Excel file. Do not skip this step.
Step 2. Right-click on your file copy and rename it. Change the extension from .xlsx to .zip. (e.g., MyReport.xlsx becomes MyReport.zip). You may need to enable File name extensions in your Windows File Explorer view settings to see the extension.

Step 3. Unzip the file using a tool like 7-Zip or the built-in Windows extractor. You will get a folder containing several subfolders.
Step 4. Navigate into the xl folder and then into the worksheets folder. Here you will see files like sheet1.xml, sheet2.xml, etc., corresponding to each sheet in your workbook.

Step 5. Open the XML file for the locked sheet in a text editor like Notepad or Notepad++.

Step 6. Press Ctrl + F to search for the word protection. You will find a tag that looks like this: <sheetProtection ... />. It may be long and contain many parameters.
Step 7. Delete the entire tag, from the opening < to the closing />.

Step 8. Save and Close the XML file.
Step 9. Go back to the root of your extracted folder. Select all the files and folders and add them back into a new ZIP archive. Make sure you don't just zip the parent folder, but its contents.
Step 10. Change the extension of your new ZIP file from .zip back to .xlsx.

Now, open this new Excel file. The worksheet protection should be gone.

Part 4. Conclusion

Knowing how to remove a password from Excel is a valuable skill. For known passwords, the process is straightforward. For a forgotten worksheet password, you have powerful methods like the .ZIP trick at your disposal.

Even when it comes to an encrypted file with a forgotten opening password, you still have choices like TunesKit File Password Recovery. By understanding the different types of protection and managing your passwords wisely, you can ensure your data remains both secure and accessible when you need it most.