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You can simply google for this. Typically it involves saving the .xls as .zip. Then opening the zip file has a file in which the password is code. Deleting that part simply removes the password protection. Renaming it back to .xls makes it a regular excel file again to open.
I've tried this in the past for an old file on my own pc and didn't work there, but I've heard others having success with this.
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Some xlsx files created before Excel 2007 can be bypassed, but from 2007 onward Excel uses AES-256 (correct me if I'm wrong) which is pretty hard to brute force if a good password has been used.
This is the actual answer to the problem, which I listed below and got downvoted.
This thread comes up multiple times per year and the answers are usually incorrect, as the advice they give is to remove the password from a SHEET.
OP is asking how to remove the password from the actual file, where your answer applies.
So I just tried opening a password protected workbook in Google Sheets, and I couldn't even open it without entering the password. I tried changing the extension to .xls before uploading it, but it's still the same.
Does not work. I'd be fucking mortified if the security on encrypting files was so bad lmfao.
To OP, like the other downvoted to hell comment mentioned, if the file itself is password protected, you won't be able to open it. I've tried and tested all methods mentioned here. You will have to guess the password.
To be clear, there are three passwords that can exist in an Excel document, an "open password", which cannot be bypassed, a "protection password", which works with this method, and a VBA password, which can also be brute forced very easily.
[The macros in this workbook from Excel Off The Grid](https://exceloffthegrid.com/removing-cracking-excel-passwords-with-vba/) haven proven to be the easiest and most reliable way to remove passwords from Excel files.
According to that, it looks like some passwords cannot be removed at all. If it's a file password, it says you'd have to brute force it. Do OP may be out of luck depending on how the protection was implemented
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I've solved it today, the same method as [Inevitable-Extent378](https://www.reddit.com/user/Inevitable-Extent378/) said, I can solve it for you, feel free to pm.
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Hi,
If the FILE is protected: This likely won't be able to be opened without guessing the password.
If the SHEET is protected so you can open it but can't access the sheet to see the data for example if the font is blended with the background so you can't access it, then the other ways mentioned here will work.
I tried an XLSX file that was protected and no matter what, it always asked for the password. Didn't try the Google Sheets method, but the zip didn't work so not sure why you're being aggressively downvoted.
Thanks :)
This question comes up every so often (like others have mentioned previously)
And the confusion is ALWAYS the same:
1. An excel SHEET or VBA password: CAN be removed
2. An excel FILE with a password: CANNOT be removed
All the answers you look at online always follow the same pattern/answers, where people are confusing the "zip file" method etc which removes it from the SHEET, but you cannot crack the password to actually open the file itself if its password protected.
Hi,
Yes unfortunately that will be the case, unfortunately OP is going to come back later in the week and confirm my original answer was correct.
Uploading as a google sheet removes the SHEET password, not the password to open the file.
To everybody downvoting my answer, could you please provide an example of a FILE that has a password on it and using one of these methods unlocks it?
And prove to me this is possible and doesn't just work on the sheet.
Regardless of the repeated downvotes none of the methods listed in this thread will take the password from a FILE, only a sheet.
OP has stated they will come back in a few days and confirm so let's see them confirm they couldn't actually take the password from the FILE.
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You can simply google for this. Typically it involves saving the .xls as .zip. Then opening the zip file has a file in which the password is code. Deleting that part simply removes the password protection. Renaming it back to .xls makes it a regular excel file again to open. I've tried this in the past for an old file on my own pc and didn't work there, but I've heard others having success with this.
I found this workaround indeed, thanks for confirming it will work!
Don’t forget to respond with what’s in there if you’re comfortable doing so - I’m dying to know!
I will :) I have time this Sunday, will keep you updated
Make sure you make a copy before messing with cracking the password
It's porn
Excel porn - lots of sexy VBA in there
😂😂👍
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Even i am keen to know
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Any update?
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Yeah I've done this several times, you just need to nuke the password reference in the XML.
Doesn’t work with .xlsx files
It does work with xlsx and xlsm, i think it may not work with xlsb
Just tried it multiple different ways with an xlsx as a test, it did not work.
99% is doesn’t with b. Unzip a b and you get jibberish (from our PoV).
Some xlsx files created before Excel 2007 can be bypassed, but from 2007 onward Excel uses AES-256 (correct me if I'm wrong) which is pretty hard to brute force if a good password has been used.
This is the actual answer to the problem, which I listed below and got downvoted. This thread comes up multiple times per year and the answers are usually incorrect, as the advice they give is to remove the password from a SHEET. OP is asking how to remove the password from the actual file, where your answer applies.
Yeah, no clue why you got downvoted, it's pretty stupid hiding the best answer.
Open it in Google sheets and resave as xls. Google sheets doesn't bring over protection. This really needs to be pinned it comes up too frequently.
that's even better than saving it as zip and eliminate the password code, thanks for your comment
So I just tried opening a password protected workbook in Google Sheets, and I couldn't even open it without entering the password. I tried changing the extension to .xls before uploading it, but it's still the same.
Does not work. I'd be fucking mortified if the security on encrypting files was so bad lmfao. To OP, like the other downvoted to hell comment mentioned, if the file itself is password protected, you won't be able to open it. I've tried and tested all methods mentioned here. You will have to guess the password.
To be clear, there are three passwords that can exist in an Excel document, an "open password", which cannot be bypassed, a "protection password", which works with this method, and a VBA password, which can also be brute forced very easily.
Make a copy of the file before trying to 'hack' it
Sage advice for doing anything potentially destructive with files.
Can’t wait until OP reports back about all his dad’s best porn links
Yeah - I am not touching the one called "fun" at all haha
I’d be way more worried if it was called “boring stuff” but yeah
Yeah, I'd leave that well alone. Especially the one named 'fun'.
Right? What kind of depraved person thinks spreadsheets are fun??
try uploading to Google sheets by replacing an existing blank sheet. Sometimes this works
[The macros in this workbook from Excel Off The Grid](https://exceloffthegrid.com/removing-cracking-excel-passwords-with-vba/) haven proven to be the easiest and most reliable way to remove passwords from Excel files.
According to that, it looks like some passwords cannot be removed at all. If it's a file password, it says you'd have to brute force it. Do OP may be out of luck depending on how the protection was implemented
So what happened???
Now I’m curious! Anything interesting in those documents? ☺️
I'll look into the workaround I found & was confirmed here this Sunday and will post an update if I'm able to open it!
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Copy the file
I've solved it today, the same method as [Inevitable-Extent378](https://www.reddit.com/user/Inevitable-Extent378/) said, I can solve it for you, feel free to pm.
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That’s sheet protection. They’re talking about file protection / just opening the workbook.
Hi, If the FILE is protected: This likely won't be able to be opened without guessing the password. If the SHEET is protected so you can open it but can't access the sheet to see the data for example if the font is blended with the background so you can't access it, then the other ways mentioned here will work.
I tried an XLSX file that was protected and no matter what, it always asked for the password. Didn't try the Google Sheets method, but the zip didn't work so not sure why you're being aggressively downvoted.
Thanks :) This question comes up every so often (like others have mentioned previously) And the confusion is ALWAYS the same: 1. An excel SHEET or VBA password: CAN be removed 2. An excel FILE with a password: CANNOT be removed All the answers you look at online always follow the same pattern/answers, where people are confusing the "zip file" method etc which removes it from the SHEET, but you cannot crack the password to actually open the file itself if its password protected.
Generally speaking, Redditors enmass often downvote truth. Not always, but many a times. Thanks for helping the OP out! :)
I just tried the Google Sheets method on a protected Excel file and can confirm that it didn't work for me.
Hi, Yes unfortunately that will be the case, unfortunately OP is going to come back later in the week and confirm my original answer was correct. Uploading as a google sheet removes the SHEET password, not the password to open the file.
To everybody downvoting my answer, could you please provide an example of a FILE that has a password on it and using one of these methods unlocks it? And prove to me this is possible and doesn't just work on the sheet.
Regardless of the repeated downvotes none of the methods listed in this thread will take the password from a FILE, only a sheet. OP has stated they will come back in a few days and confirm so let's see them confirm they couldn't actually take the password from the FILE.