Forgot excel workbook password? That is so annoyed. But if you want to solve this problem, you should know clearly which kind of password you have forgotten on Excel workbook. For example, excel workbook open password, modify password and structure protection password are three kinds of passwords that are usually used to protect excel workbook. Probably you have forgotten one of them or all of them. So now this article will talk about what we can do if forgot all kinds of excel workbook 2007-2016 password.
When you open an excel workbook, if a dialog pops up and asks you for a password to unprotect workbook, the password you need to enter is called open password. Once excel workbook open password forgot, you would lose access to excel workbook or excel file unless you can recover or remove forgotten excel password.
Note: Surely you can try several possible passwords you ever use to check whether they are excel open password. But I think the most effective way still should be excel workbook password recovery or remove.
Method 1: Excel workbook password remove
If your excel workbook is xls file, iSunshare Excel Password Remover would be the best choice for you to instantly remove forgotten open password from excel workbook.
Method 2: Excel workbook password recovery
If excel workbook is saved as xls/xlsx file, iSunshare Excel Password Genius is recommended for you now because of its high efficiency, usability and safety.
It provides a trial version for users to have a free try, and with it, people can recover excel password not longer than 3 characters. When this version is not available for your excel workbook, please choose full version that can make excel password recovery successful with 100% guarantee.
Step 1: Choose appropriate Excel Password Genius version and install it on computer.
Step 2: Click Open button, browse Excel workbook in computer and add it into Encrypted File box.
Step 3: In Type of recovery drop-down list, choose one password recovery type, and make detailed settings.
Generally, Brute-force and Mask are selected often. If you have no idea, Brute-force is suggested. About how to make detailed settings for every password recovery type you choose, please follow the article.
Brute-force/Mask/Dictionary Password Recovery Recovery Settings
Step 4: Click on Start button to run password recovery program and recover excel file open password.
After excel open password is recovered, just copy it to open your password-forgotten excel workbook. Then you can reset a new excel workbook open password or remove excel workbook password.
Forgot excel workbook modify password and cannot edit workbook and worksheet? How to do?
1. If only workbook modify password is forgotten, then everyone could easily remove it when workbook is open.
2. But if you forgot both open and modify password on excel workbook, probably that would be a little difficult for you, because you have to find forgotten password to open excel workbook at first and then you could remove forgotten modify password.
About how to recover excel workbook forgotten open password, please see method 2 in case 1. Now let's just see how to remove modify password when you could open excel workbook.
Tips: While you open excel workbook, besides open password, modify password is also asked. At this moment, just click "Read Only" button instead of entering modify password. And workbook would be opened in read-only mode. (Eg. Excel 2010)
Step 1: Select FileSave as in Excel and open a Save as dialog.
Step 2: In Save as dialog, click Tools next to "Save" button, and select General Options.
Step 3: Clear passwords that appear in box "Password to open" and "Password to modify". And uncheck "Read only recommended" if it is selected. Click OK.
Step 4: Make sure File name different from the name of opening excel workbook. Then click "Save" button to save it as new excel workbook which is unprotected with open and modify password.
Password also could protect excel workbook structure. And it would be required if you want to adjust workbook window, rename worksheet, or remove sheet etc. When you know the workbook structure password, surely it is easy to remove the protection on workbook. But if you forgot it, I think you just could view the contents on workbook, unless forgotten workbook structure password comes to your mind suddenly or you find a utility that can unprotect excel workbook.
So now I just could tell you how to remove workbook structure password protection when you know the password.
Step 1: Open Excel Workbook in Excel 2010.
1. Double click the excel workbook you want to unprotect workbook structure. If there is a dialog pops up, please enter workbook open password and click OK or press Enter.
If excel workbook open password forgot, recover it with method introduced in Case 1 first.
2. Then if there is another dialog to ask password for write access, it means workbook is also protected with modify password. Just enter it if you know, or click "Read Only" when you forgot excel workbook modify password, in order to open excel workbook succesfully.
Step 2: Remove Workbook structure password protection.
Click Protect Workbook under Review tab, and type password in dialog box, click OK to remove protection.
Note: If you find excel worksheet is also protected, you would be required to unprotect worksheet at first, and then you can unprotect workbook structure. Click Unprotect Sheet under Review tab, and type password you have set to unprotect excel sheet if necessary.
At last, please press Ctrl + S to save the workbook. Now you have solved excel workbook password forgot problem in Excel 2007/2010/2013/2016.
Tips: If you feel above method is a little difficult when you forgot excel workbook password to modify or you cannot unprotect excel workbook structure because of password forgot, please think about iSunshare Workbook Unprotect Genius, which could help you to simplify it and unprotect excel workbook structure without password.
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