Excel is one of the most popular applications in our business lives. No wonder that there are lots of sensitive data saved in Excel workbooks and sheets. Excel provides methods to secure data by protecting them with passwords. But Excel also offers much more than just using passwords on complete workbooks. You can also protect contents on single sheets, areas on worksheets and single cells. In this article, you will learn all this: From protecting entire workbooks to single cells. Even better: you'll learn how to unprotect Excel workbook with or without password.
- Solution 1. Unprotect Excel Workbook with Open Password
- Solution 2: Unprotect Excel Workbook with Structure Password
- Solution 3. Unprotect Excel Workbook Structure with VBA Code
- Solution 4. Unprotect Excel Workbook with Excel Password Recovery tool
Solution 1. Unprotect Excel Workbook with Open Password
When you protect a Workbook with a password, you will need to enter this password before you can open it. If you are asking this question how do I unprotect an Excel Workbook, follow the steps below: Open Excel file with a password.
1. Click on File > Info > Protect Workbook > Encrypt with Password.
2. On the Encrypt Document dialog, clear the small black dots from the password text box to set it blank. And then click on OK.
3. Now, the Excel file is unprotected, it won't ask for a password anymore the next time you open it.
Solution 2. Unprotect Excel Workbook with Structure Password
When your password protects the Excel Workbook structure, you can't change the structure of Workbook, such as adding a sheet or deleting a sheet. But you still are able to edit the data on the sheet. If you want to edit the Excel Workbook structure, you must unprotect the Excel Workbook structure fist.
1. Open the Excel file, click on Review, and then click on Protect Workbook.
2. Type the correct password to unprotect Excel worokbook.
Solution 3. Unprotect Excel Workbook Structure with VBA Code
However, how to open the password protected Excel file if the password has been forgotten? The Excel file can't be unprotected when it is locked. You can recover the forgotten password first, and then use it to unlock the Excel file. Here is a solution by using VBA code without password.
1. Open the Excel file, press "Alt + F11" to open the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications.
2. Click on Insert, select Module.
3. Enter the VBA code on the Module.
4. Press F5 or click on the Run button it to execute it.
5. Wait a while for it to respond. When the Workbook structure is unprotected, you can edit it without being asked for a password.
Solution 4. Unprotect Excel Workbook with Excel Password Recovery tool
If the VBA codes can't unprotect your Excel Workbook structure or Workbook successfully, get help with Workbook unprotect tuner, such as PassFab for Excel , which can help you unprotect your Excel Workbook/Worksheet just in a few seconds.
The Excel Password Recovery software from PassFab is successful at recovering Excel passwords. I have personally used it to recover Excel password. The program is free to download.
With PassFab for Excel, you don't need to worry about losing or forgetting passwords for Excel, as it enables you to recover Excel open passwords and remove Excel restriction passwords. Unprotecting Excel workbooks become so much easier for you!
When you opt for software like PassFab for Excel, the retrieval of the passwords is guaranteed. Even if the passwords are programmed in such a way that the people will not be able to decipher them, it will succeed in finding out. Whether the password is short or long and complex can bring you results in a matter of moments, recovering even passwords in other languages.
Simple steps to unprotect Excel workbook:
Step 1: Click to download and install PassFab for Excel.
Step 2: Click "Remove Excel Restriction Password".
Step 3: Click "Add button" to import the protected Excel file.
Step 4: Click "Remove" to start removing.
Now Excel restriction password has been removed and you can unprotect your Excel workbook.
Here is a video tutorial about how to unprotect Excel sheet without password, which is also working for Excel workbook:
PassFab for Excel also helps in recovering Excel open passwords. If you lost your password to open your Excel file, PassFab for Excel will get you covered!
Summary:
In summary, many times individuals that leave companies will take their passwords with them and you will need a recovery program in order to access any necessary Excel programs. Or perhaps you just can never seem to remember your Excel protection code? Have no fear there are many solutions including free programs that can unlock your spreadsheet again.
It can be very useful to password protect spreadsheets so that other people cannot accidentally (or even deliberately) overwrite valuable data of formulas and functions. However, there are times when you need to protect some cells but allow other users to access and edit other cells on the same spreadsheet. At first glance, this would seem like an unlikely thing to be able to do, but it is in fact very easy to achieve.