EASILY UNLOCK Protected Excel Sheets WITHOUT Password

Introduction

If you've ever forgotten the password to your protected Excel sheet, this tutorial will guide you through a simple method to unlock it without any password recovery software. Using a ZIP program such as WinZIP, WinRAR, or 7-Zip, you can easily remove the protection. Always remember to make a backup of your workbook before proceeding.

Step 1: Make a Backup of Your Workbook

Before attempting to unlock your Excel sheet, ensure you have a copy of the workbook. This is a crucial step to prevent any data loss during the process.

• Open your Excel file.
• Click on "File" > "Save As".
• Choose a new location and save the file with a different name.

Step 2: Change the File Extension

To manipulate the protected Excel sheet, you need to change its file extension to ZIP.

• Locate your Excel file in File Explorer.
• Right-click on the file and select "Rename".
• Change the file extension from .xlsx to .zip. Confirm the change if prompted.

Step 3: Extract the ZIP File

Using your chosen ZIP program, extract the contents of the ZIP file.

• Right-click on the newly created ZIP file.
• Select "Extract All" or use an extraction option from your ZIP program (like WinRAR or 7-Zip).
• Choose a destination folder and click "Extract".

Step 4: Locate the XML File

Once the files are extracted, you need to find the relevant XML file that contains the protection settings.

• Open the extracted folder.
• Navigate to the xl folder.
• Look for a file named workbook.xml or sheetX.xml (where X is the sheet number you want to unlock).

Step 5: Edit the XML File

Open the XML file in a text editor to remove the password protection.

• Right-click on sheetX.xml and choose "Open with" > "Notepad" or any text editor.
• Search for the tag <sheetProtection>.
• Delete the entire <sheetProtection> tag, including its opening and closing tags.

Step 6: Save Changes and Repackage the ZIP File

After editing, save the XML file and repackage it into a ZIP file.

• In the text editor, click "File" > "Save" to save your changes.
• Go back to the extracted folder, select all contents (including the modified XML file), right-click, and choose "Send to" > "Compressed (zipped) folder".
• Rename the new ZIP file back to an Excel file by changing the extension from .zip to .xlsx.

Step 7: Open the Unlocked Excel Sheet

You can now open your modified Excel file and access the previously protected sheet.

• Double-click on the newly renamed .xlsx file.
• Check if the sheet protection has been removed.

Conclusion

You have successfully unlocked your protected Excel sheet without needing a password recovery tool. Always remember to keep backups of your important files, and use this method responsibly to avoid any misuse. If you frequently work with sensitive data, consider using a password manager to help manage your passwords securely.