Excel un password cells

[steve208]

Hi
I have a excel sheet that some cells are password protected i have no idea what the password is any ideas how i can find the password or any software that will find it, so i can change the cell contents. Thanks

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Open Excel. Go to the help function (?), and type in password. You will get a lot of information.

I don't know how easy it is to completely remove password protection if you were not the person that developed the worksheet.

 

[Adrian]

Hi
I have a excel sheet that some cells are password protected i have no idea what the password is any ideas how i can find the password or any software that will find it, so i can change the cell contents. Thanks

STeve, unless you authored the worksheet you will not be able to crack the password protect.

 

[steve208]

The document was done by one of my mates who can't remember the password to unlock data stored in certain cells, there is alot of stuff in the work sheet so i don't want to start all over again, just realised its not a excel 2007 sheet but a 2003 sheet, don't know if that helps but what i have read 2007 documents are alot better on security.

 

[Adrian]

Steve review the information on this link: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/HA100968371033.aspx

 

[steve208]

Thanks for the help, but the link takes me insrtuctions on how to unprotect a sheet if you know the password which i don't, i can open the sheet but when i click on the unprotect tab under review, it asks for a password this is the one we can't remeber. I'm using excel 2007 (in compatability mode) but with documents made in excel 2003

 

[ickymay]

Thanks for the help, but the link takes me insrtuctions on how to unprotect a sheet if you know the password which i don't, i can open the sheet but when i click on the unprotect tab under review, it asks for a password this is the one we can't remeber. I'm using excel 2007 (in compatability mode) but with documents made in excel 2003

maybe try this Excel Password Remover 2010

 

[steve208]

Thanks ickymay, i have tried this one, but because im using excel 2007 this program won't load into excel 2007, only works upto 2003 version,(they do a 2007 version at £25), as its an add on to the excel program it gives you more options in the tools menu, because im running excel 2007 i need a program that can intigrate into excel 2007 or a stand alone program.

 

[ickymay]

difficult to find a free one for excel 2007 but this one Excel Password Recovery Master says it will allow

One license includes the online decryption support for a single "open" password and the unlimited use for other excel passwords

so you may be able to use it for the cell passwords

 

[jimbo45]

Hi guys
A bit of a "After the Horse" type of suggestion here - but in future if you need protected data then the BEST way to do this is NOT to use EXCEL passwording but to convert the whole kybosh into a DATABASE application (ACCESS/ MySQL etc etc).

That way you can restrict information based on USER access rights rather than passwords which in a large organisation where people leave, switch assignments etc etc cause more problems than they ostensibly solve.

It's really SIMPLE to convert / import / export stuff from EXCEL / to EXCEL into / from ACCESS databases and MySQL (Free) is also a runner here.

Doesn't solve the immediate problem I know but for "Next time".

BTW a possible work around your problem might be to try and open your spreadsheet with OPEN OFFICE (FREE) -- especially if you can do it on a Linux system -- then the password protection will be just DATA to the linux system.

The latest versions of Open Office are reasonably compatable with EXCEL -- even where macros are used.

http://www.office-3.org/default/ind...2-GOO6270-UK-openoffice-1&googleid=1028533860

Cheers
jimbo