How to Unprotect Excel Workbook without Password (3 Easy Methods)

Method 1 – Remove Password to Unprotect Excel Workbook

Here we have a password-protected Excel worksheet.

Steps:

• Right-click on the Excel file and select the Rename option.

• Add the .zip extension after removing the .xlsx Press Enter.

• Open the zipped folder by double-clicking it, and then open the xl folder.

• Open the worksheets folder in the xl folder.

• Right-click the sheet1.xml file or press ‘Ctrl+C’ on the keyboard to copy it.

• Use ‘Ctrl+V’ to paste it into your required folder.

• Open sheet1.xml in notepad.

• Open the Find search box by pressing ‘Ctrl+F’.
• In the Find what box, type protection.
• Press Enter to find the word.

• Select the “sheetProtection” tag.

• Drag the mouse to the right until you come to the end of the “/>” tag.

• Remove the selected line from the code, then save it with ‘Ctrl+S’.

• Press ‘Ctrl+C’ to copy the modified file.

• With the Copy and Replace option, paste this file to its original destination.

• Rename the zip folder. To turn it back into an Excel file, remove the .zip extension and add the .xlsx extension.

• Open the file and click to allow it to be viewed without a password.

Method 2 – Utilizing Google Sheets to Unprotect Excel Workbook without Password

Steps:

• In your browser, open a new Google Sheet by clicking on Blank.

• Click on the Import option from the File menu.

• Select the Upload option and click on “Select a file from your device”.

• Select the file and click on Open.

• Click on Import data.

• You will be able to import your excel file into Google Sheets.

• Go to the File menu, select Download, and choose Microsoft Excel(.xlsx).

• Save the file to your desired location and rename it.

• Open the file and click to allow it to be viewed without a password.

Method 3 – Unprotect Workbook by Copying Contents to a New Workbook

Steps:

• Select the protected sheet in the protected workbook.
• Press ‘Ctrl+C’ or right-click the mouse to copy the worksheet.

•  In a new workbook paste it by pressing ‘Ctrl+V’.

• Open the file.

Download Practice Workbook

Download this practice workbook to exercise while you are reading this article.

Related Articles

• How to Remove Password from Excel File
• How to Recover Excel File Password

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