How to Convert Protected Excel Sheet to Unprotected One?
Are you also forgetting the password of a locked Excel workbook and want to unprotect it? Don’t worry, here are some effective techniques to convert a protected Excel sheet to an unprotected one.
MS Excel provides a password protection function to secure your worksheets and workbooks from unauthorized access. It prevents editing, copying, formatting, and viewing data. And forgetting a password is a common scenario for everyone.
Don’t worry, here we will discuss different types of protection, techniques to remove protection, and how to unprotect Excel workbook without password to convert protected Excel sheet to unprotected.
Types of Excel Protection
Before removing the protection, let’s have some basic knowledge about it:
- Worksheet Protection: It prevents editing of cells, formulas, rows, columns, etc.
- Workbook Protection: It locks the workbook from adding sheets, deleting sheets, and renaming sheets.
- File-Level Encryption: It’s an advanced encryption that uses AES to protect the complete file, and no one can access it without the correct password.
Suggestion for Highly Encrypted Excel File
If your Excel file is locked with AES encryption, which means a password is required to open and preview file data, then users can’t convert protected Excel sheet to unprotected one manually. Because it’s a strong and powerful encryption type. So, use the SysTools Excel Password Recovery to find the exact password to open password protected excel file without a password. This software has been developed with advanced and strong algorithms, which help it to crack passwords with 100% guarantee. Users can try the demo version to guess the first two characters for better understanding.
How to Convert Protected Excel Sheet to Unprotected?
Yes, we can change protected Excel to unprotected one using a password, removing protection, saving the file as a Zip, and using VBA code for technical users. All these methods are listed below one by one:
Method 1: Using a Password
If the user knows the password and wants to convert protected Excel sheet to unprotected one, then follow the given steps:
- Open your file.
- Head to the “Review” tab.
- Choose the “Unprotect Sheet” option.
- Provide your password.
- Hit the “OK” button.
Method 2: Remove Workbook Protection
- Open your workbook.
- Navigate the “Review” > “Protect Workbook”.
- Click it again to remove protection.
- Put your password if it asks.
Method 3: Convert Protected Excel Sheet to Unprotected Sheet by Saving as ZIP
If the user doesn’t recall the password, and the file is locked with normal protection, then follow the steps:
- First, create a backup copy of your file.
- Now change the file extension from .xlsx to .zip.
- Next, extract the ZIP file content.
- Find and open the xl/worksheets folder.
- Open it and find the <sheetProtection tag.
- Remove it from the file and save it locally.
Method 4: VBA Code to Unprotect a File
This technique is ideal for technical users who have good knowledge of VBA codes to convert protected Excel sheet to an unprotected:
- Open your workbook.
- Use “Alt + F11” key to access editor.
- Next, use “Insert” >> “Module” option.
- Now paste the given code.
- And run it using the “F5” key.
Drawbacks of All Manual Methods
- The first two methods require a password.
- These methods are technical and risky.
- Can corrupt your Excel file.
- Disturb original hierarchy and elements.
- These techniques can’t work with strong encryption.
- Doesn’t support complex passwords.
Smart Solution for Strong Encryption
Manual methods are good for removing protection types, but for strongly encrypted Excel workbooks, only the suggested tool works. This software is designed to handle complex password structures without affecting the original file data. It can find all types of passwords, like partially known or completely unknown. Let’s learn more about the features and steps of this utility.
How to Convert Protected Excel Sheet to Unprotected? Steps
- Download and start the solution on the system.
- And choose the “Browse” button to import the locked Excel file.
- Browse the location of your file and use the “Open” button.
- Select the Recovery Mode: “Brute Force” and “Mask Attack” options.
- Provide known information about the password.
- Choose the “Recover” button to convert protected Excel sheet to unprotected.
- After finding the correct credentials, a confirmation will appear.
Top Features of Software
- The software is capable of finding the unknown or partially known password easily.
- It offers 100% guaranty of successful password recovery.
- It can find a maximum of 15-character passwords, including all characters like uppercase letters, Lowercase letters, numbers, Special Characters, spaces, or Tabs.
- This software maintains the original data, elements, and hierarchy to change protected Excel sheet to unprotected.
- MS Excel installation is required to guess the correct password and for faster recovery.
- One of the best parts, it can handle all sizes of Excel files without limitations.
Conclusion
This blog has explained the best ways to convert protected Excel sheet to unprotected one using manual techniques like removing the password, saving the file as a ZIP format, and using VBA code. These methods are ideal for removing normal protection from an Excel file, but in case your file is locked with AES encryption, then you should use an automated solution. Because manual methods can’t work with strong protection.
