How to Remove an Excel Spreadsheet Password in 6 Easy Steps

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.

Methods to Unprotect an Excel spreadsheet

ExcelSuperSite – Ultimate Guide
ExcelSuperSite – How to remove a password from a protected Excel worksheet

ExcelSuperSite Ultimate Guide

How to Unprotect an Excel Spreadsheet (when I have forgotten the password)

Here at ExcelSuperSite, we come across many situations where our clients have locked their spreadsheets to prevent access or accidental changes being made, but then, forget or lose access (staff leave and don’t share passwords etc) to the passwords used.

So often in fact that we created the following Ultimate Guide.

How to Unprotect an Excel Spreadsheet (when I have forgotten the password)

This guide presents simple to understand and follow, step-by-step instructions to lead you through all the steps you need to regain full access to Excel spreadsheets.

How to remove a password from a protected Excel worksheet.

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…”.

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

Step 2 Open the “ZIP” file 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).

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.

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 file 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+j9H4J3IFFhsHo3q1kQkuLydpJlLh2mdvfvk15He/Yps8xizWt/XkAJ//g+TyqgcU+8o1QBjQvKDqIzg==” saltValue=”57YXDPnVjawU5s1nGyT8fQ==” spinCount=”100000″ sheet=”1″ objects=”1″ scenarios=”1″/>

Nb: the hashvalue and saltvalue WILL be different in your file than what is shown here.

Select this entire line – everything between and including the “<” and “>” characters and delete it.

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

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

Step 6 Rename your *.Zip file 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.

ExcelSuperSite Ultimate Guide

How to Unprotect an Excel Spreadsheet (when I have forgotten the password)

Still stuck trying to unlock your spreadsheet. Download our Ultimate Guide to follow the very same, simple to understand and follow, step-by-step methods we use here at ExcelSuperSite to help our clients.

How to Unprotect an Excel Spreadsheet (when I have forgotten the password)

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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 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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