Before digging in deep to remove password from Word document, here are some insights about MS Word. Just like other outstanding services of Microsoft, MS Word facilitates you with its outstanding features. It allows you to work on professional documents, reports, letters, and resumes. Apart from all the top-notch facilities, MS-Word comes up with another feature to keep up with files/documents’ security. Using password protection for securing the content is the easiest way. It allows you to get the files and documents end to end encrypted.
But what if you forget the password of the Word document? Commonly users try to enter different mismatched passwords that further make the Word document inaccessible. Well, you cannot break it; instead, you can remove Word password. This article will help you to get answers on how to take a password off a Word document. Here are some efficient solutions to remove password from Word document.
Word file not opening might often be caused by file corruption. In this case, it is recommended to repair Word using a special tool. The software is able to find and correct the errors, restoring the document.
Part 1. How to Remove Password Protection from Word Document with Password
As mentioned earlier, if you are looking for ways to remove password from Word document, then here is a stepwise procedure. You can follow the steps if you already know the password. It helps you to unprotect the Word document and decrypt it.
In the case of Word 2010/2013/2016
Step 1: Click open the password-protected word file. For opening the file, you need the correct password. Enter the password to access the content in the file.
Step 2: Now, in the top ribbon, select the File option and in the next window, select Protect Document.
Step 3: In the drop-down menu, select the Encrypt with Password option.
Step 4: As the word file is protected via password, a dialogue box will appear on the screen with the correct password. Remove the password from the textbox and click OK to complete the action.
In the case of Word 2007
If you are using Word 2007, then you should follow the following steps:
Step 1: Launch the password-protected Word document by entering the password.
Step 2: Now click on the top-right icon in the document, and in the drop-down menu, select the Prepare option.
Step 3: In the next list of options, select Encrypt Document.
Step 4: A dialogue box will appear on the screen with a password. Remove the password and click OK to continue.
In the case of Word 2003
For all those, who are using Word 2003, follow this guide to remove password from Word document.
Step 1: Open the Word file by entering the right password.
Step 2: From the top ribbon, select the File option followed by selecting Save As in the next window.
Step 3: In the Save option window, click on Tools and then select the Security options.
Step 4: A new dialogue box will appear with the Security option. Remove the password from the Password to open textbox and click OK to save changes.
Once the procedure is complete, you are successful in removing password from the Word document.
Part 2. How to Remove Password from Word Document without Password
Stuck in a situation where you cannot access the Word document as you forgot the Word file password? There are four methods to remove password from Word files without password.
Method 1. Remove Password from Word File with A Word Password Remover
Utilizing third-party application software to remove Word password is the most straightforward approach. You can perform both tasks, i.e., recover the forgotten passwords and remove the passwords to get access to Word documents. In this regard, one of the best password recovery tools for MS Word is PassFab for Word. If you are wondering how to take a password off a Word document with PassFab for Word, then here are the steps to follow:
Step 1: Download and install the PassFab for Word on your PC. Once the software is successfully installed, launch it.
Step 2: In the main menu, click on Add to select the password-protected Word document.
Step 3: Once the file is selected, click Open to continue.
Step 4: As the Word file is added, now select the mode, i.e., select dictionary attack to recover password from an existing dictionary or select Brute Force with Mask Attack in case you remember few elements of your password. The third mode, Brute Force Attack, is chosen when you are entirely out of clue for the password.
Step 5: Select the appropriate mode and click Start to continue.
Step 6: As soon as the password is recovered, copy the password to unlock the Word file.
Once the password is recovered, the next step that can be performed is to remove the password from Word document with the known password. Follow the steps as mentioned in Part 1 for removing password from the target Word document.
Method 2. Remove Password from Word File By Renaming Word File Extension
Another possible answer for how to remove password from Word file is by renaming the Word file extension. However, it is somehow complicated, as by default, Windows hides the file extensions, so to change the file extension, you need to unhide it at first. Moreover, shifting from one extension to another is time-consuming. Any mistake in the process can make the original document inaccessible. Here is how you can progress:
Step 1: Rename the .doc or .docx extension to .zip. It could be done under the option of ‘rename’ in the top ribbon. Click Yes to continue.
Step 2: Next step is to launch the Zip file in windows explorer.
Step 3: Now open the word folder and navigate to the option of settings.xml. Delete from the list.
Step 4: Once done, rename the file back to .doc extension. It would enable editing in the Word file.
Method 3. Remove Password from Word File by Saving As Rich Text Format
If you don’t remember the password to your Word document, then don’t worry. Here is another efficient solution to remove password from Word file. Changing the file format can help you. It will make the Word file accessible. RTF format serves best for the pursuit. It is a widely readable format by different processors and programs and saves the file in a smaller size.
Here is how you can save the Word file to RTF format for removing password:
Step 1: Launch the targeted password-protected Word document and click the Microsoft icon on the top left corner.
Step 2: Next step is to save the document in Rich text format. Click the Save as option and select *.rtf., as the file format.
Step 3: In the next step, reopen the document in Rich text format in notepad.
Step 4: In the notepad, press Ctrl+F to launch the Find prompt. In the box, type ‘passwordhash.’
Step 5: Once you find it, replace it with ‘withoutpassword.‘ Save changes and exit notepad.
Step 6: Relaunch the RTF file in MS Word and click the Review option.
Step 7: In the Review option, select the Restrict editing option followed by selecting Restrict Formatting and Editing.
Step 8: Uncheck the options, i.e., Formatting restrictions and Editing restrictions.
Method 4. Remove Password from Word Document Online
If none of the methods works to remove password from Word document, then the only way left is to pursue the online platforms. The online website allows you to utilize the feature freely. Some of them will offer free service. All you have to do is select the target Word document or drag and drop the file and click Start. The software/website will remove/unlock the password of your Word document.
Aspose is a free online Word document password unlocker that unlocks the files in various formats, such as DOTX, PDF, DOC, and ODT. Moreover, you can save the unlocked files/documents in desired formats. This online platform allows you to unlock multiple files simultaneously. Here are the steps to follow:
Step 1: Start the process by clicking the file drop area to upload the targeted Word document or drag-drop the file.
Step 2: As soon as the file is uploaded, the process of unlocking would start automatically.
Step 3: While the process is in progress, you can check the progress ratio.
Step 4: Once the file is unlocked, a downloadable link would appear on the screen. Click on the link to download the unlocked Word document.
Conclusion
This article presents you with all solutions for how to remove password from Word file, with or without password. Here you get a recommendation for a third-party application software designed to recover passwords for Word. Moreover, renaming the word file extension, saving word file in rich text format, or removing password online are other ways that can help to remove password from Word document.
