Office - Unprotecting an Excel Sheet Without the Password

This document outlines how to unprotect an Excel spreadsheet if you do not have the password but are still able to edit the document. If you are no longer able to edit the document, the document is gone due to Microsoft's policy of encrypting documents once they are password protected.

Related KBs:

Note: If your Excel file contains more than one protected sheet, use the instructions below to unprotect each sheet individually.



1. Save your document as an Excel 97-2003 workbook (.xls). 2. Close Excel and reopen the workbook - it will be opened in compatibility mode. 3. Follow the instructions below to unprotect the worksheet:

1. Go to the Developer tab on the top ribbon or press Alt and F11 if you prefer the keyboard shortcut. Press View Code.









2. Once the code window opens, double-tap on the worksheet that is password protected.









3. Copy and paste the following code into the Code window: