Top 3 Methods To Unlock Password Protected Excel File

Summary:

In this blog, I am going to discuss each and every aspect about password protected Excel file and how to unlock xlsx file. Find out the fixes covered in this post below if you are unable to open password protected Excel file.

After reading the complete post you will get answer of queries like how to open a password protected Excel file if forgot password or how to fix password protected Excel file not opening issue on your own.

About Excel Password:

In Microsoft Excel users stores various types of valuable, confidential, official, projects and important data as per their convenience. Thus, with respect to the importance of Excel files, users protect their workbook data with a password.

While creating password protection in the Excel worksheet, Microsoft warns you to keep the password in a secure and safe place or note it down. So, it will be easier for you only to remember the password if you forget or lost the password due to any reason.

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Hence, due to this people are unable unlock password protected Excel file and wants to know the best solutions for how to unlock password protected Excel file?

Don’t worry, here I am with my new blog post discussing each and everything in detail about how to unlock Excel file protected by password. As well as you will also get to know about how to unlock password protected Excel file online for free?

So, just go through this blog carefully to get rid of password protected Excel file not opening issue or to learn how to unlock Excel password.

Practical Scenario:

Problem with password protected excel file not opening

I am trying to use the Write Range activity to write a data table into a password protected Excel file.

If I use the Application Integration Activity (with Excel App scope) to write into a password protected cell range, I get the “Range does not exist” error message.
I have already tried inputting the “Password” and the “Edit Password” options here. That does not help.

If I use the System Integration Activity, it disturbs the formatting of the Excel Template – especially cell borders.

Is this a bug or a known issue? How do we get around this?

EDIT: Certain ranges within a particular sheet in my Excel are password protected – not the entire file itself. I want the robot to be able to make edits in these protected ranges.

Source: https://forum.uipath.com/t/problem-with-password-protected-excel-file/103784

Types of MS Excel Password

Types of MS Excel Password

Before we get into the solutions of how to unlock password protected Excel file, let’s go through the types of MS Excel passwords and they are as follows:

1) Read-Only-Password: Read-Only password documents can be viewed and ready but you cannot change the password.

2) Workbook Structure Password: Workbook Structure Password can only protect the structure of the Excel worksheet but cannot protect the content.

3) Sheet Password: Sheet Password will allow the users only to modify, delete or change in the editable part of the existing worksheet, not all the parts of the workbook.

4) Open Password: Open Password is one the most basic type for the users to set the password for opening any document.

5) Modify Password: Modify Password is basically used in the corporate world where you can easily examine your workbook data but in order to make any kind of changes you have to enter your password first.

How To Unlock Password Protected Excel File?

Top 4 Methods To Unlock Password Protected Excel File

Here are some of the basic and important methods about how to unlock password protect Excel file. Go through the fixes to resolve unable to open password protected Excel file issue.

Method #1: How To Unlock Password Protected Excel File 2016/2013/2010/2007

This is one of the simplest methods for how to unlock a Excel file protected by password as well as you can also Lock and Unlock Cells, Formulas in Microsoft Excel as per the need. Just follow the steps given below:

  • Open the MS Excel file by double click on it
  • If you have protected the file with a password, then a pop up will appear on the screen
  • The pop up will indicate you that your Excel file is password protected and you will need a password to open it
  • Just enter the password to unlock the password-protected Excel file

  • After that, click on the OK button and your file will open

Method #2: How To Open Password Protected Excel File 2007

How To Open Password Protected Excel File 2007

This method is only useful for MS Excel 2007 or older versions. With the help of modifying the File Extension, users can get rid of password protected Excel file not opening in Office 2007 easily. So, to know the full process about how to unlock password protected Excel file 2007, just go through the steps given below:

  • At first, make a backup of the Excel document which is password protected
  • Press Ctrl + C to make a new copy for the protected Excel document
  • Then, right-click on the password-protected Excel file and choose the Rename menu
  • A dialog box will appear to rename

  • Here, change the file extension name from .csv or .xls or .xlsx to .zip extension

  • After that unzip the document from the zip file
  • Search for the file that ends with the .xml format
  • Then, double click on the XML file and open it with the XML editor
  • Select the Enter key and click on the Yes button to proceed
  • Now, with the help of archiving software like WinZIP or 7ZIP tool or ZIP, you can extract the ZIP files

  • After that, double click on the folder named as xl

  • A spreadsheet file will appear and open that file with Notepad
  • Now, press Ctrl + F to find the word SheetProtection and look for the line that starts with “<sheetProtection algorithmName=”SHA-512″ hashValue=

  • Delete that word and save the file
  • Here, change the .zip file to .csv or .xls or .xlsx format and press the Enter key

  • Press Ctrl + S to save the Excel file and close it
  • Thus, this will definitely help you in solving the issue of unable to open password protected Excel file in 2007.

Here is the video for illustrating this method more clearly to you:

Method #3: How To Unlock Password Protected Excel File Online Free

To unlock password protected Excel sheet online free, just read the steps carefully that how it works.

  • At first, you should have a good and stable Internet connection
  • Then open the online website to unlock password protected Excel file
  • Here you will find the Drop file to upload or click here option

  • Drag the targeted locked Excel workbook data to the web screen or you can browse the particular Excel file from the system also to upload
  • After the uploading gets over, the process for password protected Excel file not opening issue will start to solve it
  • You will able to view the recovery process with the help of a progress bar as shown on your computer screen
  • Let the process gets completed, then you will be able to crack the unlock password as it will show on your screen
  • This will help you to get rid of how to unlock password protected Excel file online problem

Recommended Solution: MS Excel Repair & Recovery Tool

MS Excel Repair & Recovery Tool

While you are saving your important Excel document with a password for the protection of your files but sometimes accidentally or by mistake, some of the files get corrupted or deleted.

So in that case, we have a professional recommended tool i.e. MS Excel Repair & Recovery Tool to get back your all important files.

With the help of this advanced tool, you can easily recover all sorts of corrupted, damaged lost or deleted Excel files also.

This is a very helpful and useful software to restore all types of MS Excel files with ease which includes all the versions of Excel, i.e. Excel 2000, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2016 & 2019.

* Free version of the product only previews recoverable data.

Steps to Utilize MS Excel Repair & Recovery Tool:

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Conclusion

So, this is all about how to unlock a Excel file protected by password. Well, I tried my level best to put together the best possible ways to solve the password protected Excel file not opening issue.

Hope you followed the above methods carefully about how to unlock password protected Excel file and it helped you to unlock xlsx file.

Now you don’t need any expert to unlock Excel password as you can do this on your own.



Priyanka is an entrepreneur & content marketing expert. She writes tech blogs and has expertise in MS Office, Excel, and other tech subjects. Her distinctive art of presenting tech information in the easy-to-understand language is very impressive. When not writing, she loves unplanned travels.