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Spreadsheet Password in 6 Easy -

Steps. Feenom

This post we show how to remove an Excel spreadsheet password in 6

easy to follow steps. It is an update to an earlier article where we
discussed how you may be able to unprotect an Excel spreadsheet if
you have forgotten the password used to protect it. Click here to read
that article.

Unfortunately, there is no way that we can view or recover what your

lost password is. However, what can be done is remove the password
protection from your worksheets, so you once again have full
unrestricted access to your data and information.

How to remove a password from a protected

Excel worksheet.
 

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 How to Remove a Password From a Protected Spreadsheet

BEFORE you start Always make a backup copy of your

spreadsheet. While the following steps will do nothing to the data in
your spreadsheet, it NEVER hurts to be cautious and have a copy of
your original document – “just in case…”.   

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 Make a BACKUP copy of your spreadsheet BEFORE trying to remove the password

Step 1 Rename the extension of your spreadsheet from *.xlsx to

*.zip.   

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 Rename your spreadsheet from *.xlsx to *.zip

Step 2 Open the “ZIP” le in any File Compression software. There

are many free versions available – we personally like using 7-Zip
(click here to download a free copy of 7-Zip).   

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 Open the ZIP le in 7-Zip

Step 3 Locate the “xl” folder and then the “worksheets” folder.
Inside the “worksheets” folder you will see a list of all your
worksheets within your spreadsheet. They will be listed as
sheet1.xml, sheet2.xml and so on.   

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 Locate the xl folder then worksheets folder

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 All your worksheets will be listed with xml le extensions

Step 4 If you have a lot of worksheets within your spreadsheet,

then this next step can get a little tedious… Starting at sheet1.xml –
open the le in Notepad and search for the line that begins with
“<sheetProtection algorithmName=”SHA-512″ hashValue=“.   

It will look something like:

<sheetProtection algorithmName=”SHA-512″
hashValue=”x9RyFM+j9H4J3IFFhsHo3q1kQkuLydpJlLh2mdvfvk1
5He/Yps8xizWt/XkAJ//g+TyqgcU+8o1QBjQvKDqIzg==”
saltValue=”57YXDPnVjawU5s1nGyT8fQ==” spinCount=”100000″
sheet=”1″ objects=”1″ scenarios=”1″/>

Nb: the hashvalue and saltvalue WILL be di erent in your le

than what is shown here.

Select this entire line – everything between and including the

“<” and “>” characters and delete it.

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 Find and delete the <Sheet Protection line

Step 5 Save your modi ed xml le. Repeat this process for every
xml le in your spreadsheet. Once complete, you simply need to
add your modi ed xml les back into your “zip” le, overwriting all
existing original xml les.   

(To add your modi ed les back into your Zip le – ensure you
have 7-Zip still open and navigate your way through to where
the xml les are stored – i.e. go to the xl folder and then the
worksheets folder. Then from your desktop (or wherever you
have the modi ed xml les stored), select ALL your xml les
and left click (and hold) and drag and drop the les from the
desktop over into the 7-Zip folder.)

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 Add your modi ed xml les back into your Zip le

Step 6 Rename your *.Zip le back to *.xlsx and “tadaaaaaa!!” all

your worksheets will now be unprotected and you’ll have full access
to your data and information stored in them.   

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 Rename your le back to *.xlsx

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 Your worksheets will no be unprotected

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Having Trouble and Need some help?

Have you followed the steps outlined above, but are still having trouble
restoring full access to your worksheet?

We can help you!

Since writing this article we have received many, many requests for help
from people needing to remove the passwords from their

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 spreadsheets.

To request our help, please click the following link:

Click here to request help from ExcelSuperSite

Continue the Discussion

Have you had to remove the password from a protected worksheet? If
so, how do you do it? Did you use a similar method to the above or
another method? Continue the discussion and add your thoughts in the
comments section at the bottom of this article.

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rasqie4me • 2 years ago

Thanks for sharing this niche. it work for me
7△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Brian Mod > rasqie4me • 2 years ago

Awesome. Great to hear.
2△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Sean Woodcraft • a year ago

Just tried this - using the latest version of 7-zip & Excel 2016 I had
trouble when I tried renaming the file. Excel kept telling me that it
couldn't open it yadda yadda. When it did open, the previously
protected sheets were empty. Don't know if this is because it's a macro-
enabled workbook?

Instead, did as was suggested further down and just opened the archive
(right click > 7zip > Open Archive). Select the appropriate sheet and
edit (F4 or right click again). When you save & close, it will ask if you
want to update the archive - yes, yes you do!
4△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

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 Brian Mod > Sean Woodcraft • a year ago
Hi Sean, Great to hear you got access to your spreadsheet once
again.
The process works just as well on macro enabled spreadsheets
as it does on those without macros. Following the process
outlined above does not impact the contents of your
spreadsheet at all.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Mike Gurung • 2 years ago

My Sheets were protected with password and I was unable to modify
the contents. I have unprotected all of them following your steps. Thank
you very much for sharing.
3△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Brian Mod > Mike Gurung • 2 years ago

This is why we share articles like this - so people can get back
access to spreadsheets that would otherwise be locked for
them.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Srinivas K • 2 years ago

wounderfull it is working
3△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Brian Mod > Srinivas K • 2 years ago

Great to hear that it worked for you.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

flojo79 • a year ago

When unzipping the file I only see 2 folders and one file I dont see any
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 When unzipping the file, I only see 2 folders and one file, I dont see any
"xl" folder. any ideas?
2△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Brian Mod > flojo79 • a year ago

Hi flojo79,

What folders do you see when you open the zip file?
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Dimitris Papadopoulos • a year ago

Guys, i tried this on an .xls file with no success ! fyi, when i double click
the file , the first thing that it is asking for is the password. so the file
does not open in excel at all.
Any ideas?
Dimitris
2△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Brian Mod > Dimitris Papadopoulos • a year ago

Hi Dimitris,
Unfortunately, this process ONLY works on files that your can
ALREADY OPEN. If you need a password just to open your file,
then sorry, these steps will not work for you.
The above steps ONLY removes passwords from worksheets
WITHIN your spreadsheet and NOT any passwords required to
open the spreadsheet in the first place.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Jack Xie • a year ago

I have an excel file with opening password. it doesn't have xl folder
when I try to open it with 7-zip. when I try to open workbook file, it looks
all massed up. no way to find any words. any help will be greatly
appreciated
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 appreciated.

see more

2△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Brian Mod > Jack Xie • a year ago

Hi Jack, this process ONLY works to remove the passwords on
worksheets INSIDE your spreadsheet. it DOES NOT remove the
password required to open a file.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Cristi Cost • a year ago

YAY! Totally worked. One thing to note though... in my case not only did
my predecessor lock down the sheets BUT he also locked down the
workbook. In the steps above: In Step 3, locate the file name
workbook.xml in the folder xl and do the exact same steps that you
would have done for the sheets. Victory is ours!

Thanks so much for posting this step by step. You are amazing!

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 2△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Efrain > Cristi Cost • 6 months ago

Should also note, look only in the "xl" folder, not the
"worksheets" folder. The workbook protection code starts with "
<workbookprotection workbookalgorithmname=".">
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

bin.yu > Efrain • 10 days ago

worked for me. Thanks for sharing.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Brian Mod > Cristi Cost • a year ago

Great to hear. Thanks for letting us know this process worked for
you.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Diego Fernando Bueno Ni;o • 2 years ago

absolutely fantastic... thsk Brian.. for share this kind of knowledgs
2△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Brian Mod > Diego Fernando Bueno Ni;o • 2 years ago

We think it is great as well...
1△ ▽ 1 • Reply • Share ›

Guest > Brian • a year ago

It works. Thanks. But is it possible to reveal the password
as commented by another user? For free and using this
method?
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

>
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 Brian Krisanski > Guest • a year ago • edited
Sorry, no, not possible to use this method to show
the actual password used to protect the
spreadsheet in the first place. This method simply
removes the component from the spreadsheet
that specifies that the worksheet is protected. It
doesn't "look at" nor "work out" what the password
was and hence it cannot be used to show/reveal
the original password.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Diego Fernando Bueno Ni;o > Brian • 2 years ago

The next step will be aweoeme if is possible to work in a
solution to reveal the passwords because the ''free'' tools
doesn't make anything ..only the expensive commercial
tools... Seems to be functional. Thks again
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

James Krueger • 2 years ago

Great advice - it worked perfectly! Thank you!
2△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Brian Mod > James Krueger • 2 years ago

Your welcome. We aim to please... :)
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Habibi • 2 years ago

Thank you very much. Best methode
2△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Brian Mod > Habibi • 2 years ago

We really like this method as well
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 We really like this method as well
1△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Victor Beltran • 3 months ago

Fantastic master
1△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Brian Mod > Victor Beltran • 3 months ago

Glad it worked for you
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Sonya Sho • 3 months ago

Thank you! This was super easy!!
1△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Brian Mod > Sonya Sho • 3 months ago

Yes it is... :)
That's great it worked for you.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Apsara Kunda • 4 months ago

This worked like a charm for me. Thank you!
1△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Brian Mod > Apsara Kunda • 4 months ago

That's what we love hearing.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Johan • 5 months ago

Thanks, this worked for me!
1△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

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 Brian Mod > Johan • 5 months ago
Excellent. Thanks for sharing.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Bolívar Zanella Ribeiro • 5 months ago

Very nice method. My file didn't had all the hashvalue, saltvalue and
spincount part, but I just delete the sheetprotection and scenarios bit
and it was done. Thank you!
1△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Brian Mod > Bolívar Zanella Ribeiro • 5 months ago

Hi Bolivar,
100% correct - every protected spreadsheet will have different
values, tags etc depending on how and what is protected on the
worksheet.
As you have said, simply delete the entire <sheetprotection...
...=""> tag and it will be removed for you.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

R. Salazar • 5 months ago

Amazing. This worked like a charm :)
1△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Brian Mod > R. Salazar • 5 months ago

Glad the information we shared could help.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

tkel55 • 6 months ago

Hi Brian, do you have this 7-zip method available for the workbook as
well? it worked for my spreadsheets, but the workbook is protected too.
thanks Tom
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 thanks, Tom
1△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Brian Mod > tkel55 • 6 months ago

Hi tkel55,

To remove WORKBOOK protection it is very similar to a

worksheet but with a couple of minor changes...
- follow steps 1 and 2 as above
- in step 3 (see the image in the above article), navigate only to
the xl folder and look for and open the workbook.xml file
- step 4 - instead of searching for the tag "<sheetprotection..."
search="" for="" "<workbookprotection..."="" and="" remove=""
that="" entire="" tag="" (everything="" and="" including="" the=""
"<="...">" angle brackets.
- follow steps 5 and 6 as above

Hope that helps.

Cheers,
Brian
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

tkel55 > Brian • 6 months ago

excel workbook successfully jailbroke!! thanks a mil
1△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Brian Mod > tkel55 • 6 months ago

Excellent. Great to hear it worked for you.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Azzz • 6 months ago

Oh my, never thought there is this simple way without the need to get

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 apps or coding to unprotect the sheets, worked perfectly with me using
winRAR and following these easy steps, thanks a million.
1△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Brian Mod > Azzz • 6 months ago

Simple and straight-forward to do - that is what we like. Great it
worked for you.
△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

Guest • 6 months ago

Had issues with Excel not responding from the VBA code but this
worked like magic.Thank you!

,
1△ ▽ • Reply • Share ›

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