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How to Remove Password from Excel 2016/2013/2010/2007

An Excel workbook can manage a whole project smartly and efficiently. Excel offers the users to add a password to protect the document from unauthorized access. It depends on the level of protection you need and then set the password to prevent seeing the workbook entirely or restricting editing the content.

The password setting is simple, and anyone can easily put a password on it. But what if you forgot the password. Here we have come up with three simple ways to remove password from Excel 2016/2013/2007 without password.

Method 1: Remove Password from Excel 2016/2013/2007 Using A Excel Password Remover

iSunshare Excel Password Genius is the best and most flexible Excel password remover for assisting you if you lost or forgot your Excel password. It helps you to remove password from excel 2016 and the older versions. It is a high-speed recovery software on top of the list among all other methods and software. It is perfect for removing MS Excel forgotten password within a few seconds.

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How to Remove Excel Password using iSunshare Excel Password Genius

Step 1: Importing the Password Protected Excel file

Click on the Open button to import the Encrypted Excel file.

Remove password from Excel 2016 with Excel password remover

Step 2: Choose Password Recovery Type

Click on the dropdown menu in the “Recovery Type.” You will see four recovery types, including Normal, Mask, Dictionary, and Smart. Select the appropriate type to move forward.

  • Normal Recovery – Normal Recovery works by testing all possible combinations in the specified character range. Short passwords can be recovered within a few minutes through this type.
  • Mask Recovery – If you remember the password partially, this type can help you. This method is better than the normal one.
  • Dictionary Recovery – This one helps you if your password is a keyword.
  • Smart Recovery – It automatic and tests all the combinations until the right password comes up.

Mask Recovery is highly recommended in Excel 2016 password removing.

choose password recovery type to remove Excel password

Step 3: Set the Parameters

In Mask type, set the range and enter Mask settings. It will speed up the recovery process. In the Mask option, write the partially remembered characters of the password and ? in place of forgotten characters.

Step 4: Recover the password by clicking on the Start button

Click on the Start button, and a window will appear with the password after a while. You can directly open the file or copy the password as per your wish.

Excel 2016 password recovered

Method 2: Remove Password from Excel 2016/2013 by Modifying the File Extension

Sometimes you need to unprotect the excel sheet on an urgent basis, and you do not have any online resource to detect password for you. You need to follow these simple steps to remove password from excel 2013 and other versions.

Step 1: Enable the File Extensions

For enabling the file extension, uncheck the already checked “Hide extension for known file types” option in the Show or hide file extensions settings window. Click on Apply and then select OK.

hide extension for known file types

Step 2: Change the File Extension

Now change the file extension by right-clicking the file in Window Explorer. Click on Rename and Change the extension from .xlsx to .zip.

Change the extension from .xlsx to .zip

Step 3: Open Zip Folder to edit the XML file

After changing the extension. Now follow the steps:

  • Double click the zip folder and open it.
  • Open the .xml file with Notepad.

Step 4: Edit .xml file

Open the .xml file and search for sheetprotection and remove the entire tag along with that.

Step 5: Save and Finalize

Save the file and close. And then change back the extension.

modify workbook.xml sheet to remove password from Excel 2013

Method 3: Remove Password from Excel 2016/2007 by VBA Code

There is another simple way to remove password from excel 2007 and other versions, using the VBA code. This method generates an alternative and useable password for your excel sheets.

It can be done in 3 to 4 steps.

Step 1: Open the VBA

Open the Encrypted Excel file and press Alt+F11 to open VBA. Now double click on the worksheet you need to unlock. A declaration page for the sheet will appear.

open visual basic window

Step 2: Copy and paste code breaker code

On the declaration page, add the breaker code. Just copy and paste it.


Sub PasswordBreaker()

Dim i As Integer, j As Integer, k As Integer
Dim l As Integer, m As Integer, n As Integer
Dim i1 As Integer, i2 As Integer, i3 As Integer
Dim i4 As Integer, i5 As Integer, i6 As Integer
On Error Resume Next
For i = 65 To 66: For j = 65 To 66: For k = 65 To 66
For l = 65 To 66: For m = 65 To 66: For i1 = 65 To 66
For i2 = 65 To 66: For i3 = 65 To 66: For i4 = 65 To 66
For i5 = 65 To 66: For i6 = 65 To 66: For n = 32 To 126
ActiveSheet.Unprotect Chr(i) & Chr(j) & Chr(k) & _
Chr(l) & Chr(m) & Chr(i1) & Chr(i2) & Chr(i3) & _
Chr(i4) & Chr(i5) & Chr(i6) & Chr(n)
If ActiveSheet.ProtectContents = False Then
MsgBox "One usable password is " & Chr(i) & Chr(j) & _
Chr(k) & Chr(l) & Chr(m) & Chr(i1) & Chr(i2) & _
Chr(i3) & Chr(i4) & Chr(i5) & Chr(i6) & Chr(n)
Exit Sub
End If
Next: Next: Next: Next: Next: Next
Next: Next: Next: Next: Next: Next
End Sub

remove password from Excel 2007 using VBA code

Step 3: Run the code

Press F5 and run the code. It will generate a password for your Excel file. Use it for unlocking.

Final Words

If you have lost or forgot the Excel file password and don’t know how to remove password from excel 2016/2013/2010/2007, then these methods are easier and simpler as well as genuine ones to remove Excel passwords within a few minutes.

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