How to Remove Read Only from Excel File

Understanding why your file is restricted—whether it was marked as final by an author, opened in Protected View for safety, or simply set to "Read-only" in its file properties—is the first step toward a solution. Fortunately, the restrictions are easily lifted regardless of the cause. We will show you exactly how to remove read only from Excel, ensuring you can get back to editing your data immediately.

Part 1. Why Is My Excel File Showing As Read-only?

Your Excel file may show as read-only for several reasons:

1. The file is marked as Read-Only — Its properties may be set to read-only in Windows or macOS.

2. File is protected — The workbook or worksheet may be protected with a password or restricted editing settings.

3. File opened from email or downloaded location — Files opened directly from email or the internet may be auto-protected.

4. Another user is editing the file — For shared network files, Excel may open it in read-only mode if someone else is currently editing it.

5. Insufficient permissions — You may not have write access to the folder or network location.

6. File is in "Final" or Protected View — Excel may mark the document as final or open it in Protected View for security reasons.

Part 2. How Do I Remove Read Only From Excel?

There are several reasons an Excel file might be locked in "Read-Only" mode. Below are the step-by-step methods to fix this, starting with the most common solutions.

Method 1: The "Edit Anyway" Button (Marked as Final)

When you download a spreadsheet from an email attachment or an online source, Excel automatically enables a safety feature called "Protected View." Consequently, the file opens in a restricted mode where you cannot make changes immediately to ensure your safety. You should use this method if you see a distinct yellow banner at the top of your workspace alerting you that editing has been disabled. Here's how:

Step 1. Look for the yellow banner at the top of the window that says "Marked as Final" or "Protected View."

Step 2. Click the button labeled Edit Anyway or Enable Editing inside that banner.

Step 3. Save the file (Ctrl + S or Cmd + S) to permanently remove this status.

Method 2: Windows File Properties

The file might be locked by Windows settings rather than Excel, which often happens with files copied from external sources like CD-ROMs. If you cannot edit the file and see no warning banner inside Excel, follow these steps to change file properties.

Step 1. Close the Excel file if it is currently open.

Step 2. Navigate to the file location in your File Explorer (folder).

Step 3. Right-click on the Excel file icon and select Properties.

Step 4. Look at the bottom of the "General" tab for the Attributes section.

Step 5. Uncheck the box next to Read-only.

Step 6. Click OK.

Method 3: Remove "Read-only Recommended" (Inside Excel)

The author enabled this setting to prevent accidental changes. Use this method if a popup asks you to open as "read-only" every time you launch the file and you want to stop that recurring message. Here's how:

Step 1. Open the Excel file (click No if it asks to open as read-only, so you have write access).

Step 2. Go to File → Save As.

Step 3. Choose a location (or click Browse) to bring up the "Save As" dialog window.

Step 4. Locate the Tools dropdown button at the bottom-right corner of the window (next to the "Save" button).

Step 5. Click Tools and select General Options...

Step 6. Uncheck the box labeled Read-only recommended.

Step 7. Click OK and then Save to overwrite the file with the new settings.

Method 4: Mac File Permissions

If you are on a Mac and the file is "Locked" or you lack "Read & Write" permissions. This is common with files transferred from external drives or servers and requires changing settings in Finder rather than Excel. Follow these steps to change Mac file permissions.

Step 1. Close the file and open Finder.

Step 2. Locate the file, right-click (or Control-click) it, and select Get Info.

Step 3. In the General section, ensure the Locked checkbox is unchecked.

Step 4. Scroll down to the Sharing & Permissions section at the bottom.

Step 5. Ensure your user account has Read & Write privileges. If it says "Read only," click the arrows to change it to "Read & Write."

Method 5: The "Save As" Workaround

When you lack permission to modify the original file, such as on a restricted network drive. This method creates a separate, editable copy on your computer to bypass those restrictions. Let's see how to do.

Step 1. Open the read-only file.

Step 2. Go to File → Save As.

Step 3. Change the filename slightly (e.g., add " - Edited" to the end).

Step 4. Click Save. This new copy will be fully editable on your computer.

Method 6: Unprotect Sheet or Workbook

If the file opens but you are blocked from typing in specific cells or adding tabs. The author likely protected the sheet to preserve formulas, and this method unlocks it for full editing. Here's how:

Step 1. Go to the Review tab on the top ribbon.

Step 2. Look for the Unprotect Sheet or Unprotect Workbook buttons.

Step 3. Click them. If no password was set, it will unlock immediately.

Step 4. If a password is required, you must enter it here to edit the locked cells.

Part 3. Using TunesKit File Password Recovery to Remove Read Only from Excel

While the standard methods listed above work well for configuration errors or simple file attributes, they often fail if the Excel file is protected by a strong password that you have forgotten. TunesKit File Password Recovery stands out because it is a specialized decryption tool designed to solve "Password to Modify" restrictions without corrupting your data.

Also, if you forgot Excel password, it can recover the opening password quickly. The software supports all major Microsoft Office versions, ensures a safe and non-destructive unlocking process, and provides a high success rate, making it suitable for both beginners and professionals who need to regain full access to their documents.

Here's the step-by-step guide to remove read only from Excel without password using TunesKit File Password Recovery.

Step 1Select a File Type

Download and install the TunesKit Excel Password Recovery software on your Windows or Mac computer. Launch the program, and select Excel/Word/PPT option on the screen.

Step 2Select Remove Office Restriction

Since you want to remove read only from Excel without password, you should choose Remove Office Restriction option. This mode is designed to strip editing restrictions from Excel files.

Step 3Start to Remove Read Only from Excel

Add or drag your Excel file (the one showing as read-only) into the program. Click Start Remove botton. The software will attempt to remove the read-only / editing restrictions — unlocking full edit, copy, save permissions.

Step 4Successfully Remove Read Only Limitation

Once the process completes, open the resulting file — it should now allow editing, saving, and modifying, without requiring any password or read-only confirmation.

Part 4. FAQs about Removing Read Only from Excel

Part 5. Conclusion

While basic read-only restrictions are easily removed by changing file properties or clicking "Enable Editing," these methods fail against forgotten passwords. TunesKit File Password Recovery bridges this gap by using advanced decryption to retrieve your original credentials, allowing you to regain full editing rights and data integrity when standard Excel features cannot.