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Spreadsheet tool · runs in your browser

Unprotect an Excel sheet without the password

Forgot the password that stops you editing a sheet? Drop the .xlsx file to get a copy with sheet and workbook protection removed. Files that need a password to open are not supported.

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How to unprotect an Excel sheet

  1. 1. Choose the workbook

    Open an .xlsx or .xlsm file from your device, or up to 20 at once. The file is read in your browser and is not uploaded.

  2. 2. Check what was found

    Each file lists the sheets that were locked and whether a workbook structure lock or a password to modify was removed. A file with no protection is reported as such.

  3. 3. Download the copy

    Save the new file, which has -unprotected added to its name, and open it in Excel. You can now edit cells and add, rename or unhide sheets.

Sheet protection is not file encryption

Excel has two kinds of password. Protect Sheet and Protect Workbook stop editing, but the file still opens and its contents are stored unencrypted, so the lock can be taken out. Encrypt with Password scrambles the whole file and asks for a password before it opens; that cannot be removed without the password, and this tool tells you when a file is encrypted.

What is removed and what stays

The tool deletes sheet protection, the workbook structure lock and the password to modify. Values, formulas, formatting, charts and macros are copied unchanged, and hidden sheets stay hidden until you unhide them. A locked VBA project is not unlocked. To tidy the data afterwards, use Clean data; for a locked PDF, use Unlock PDF.

Built by Faheem Riaz at Feemag. How file privacy works · Report a problem

Good to know

Questions & answers

Can it open an Excel file that asks for a password when I open it?

No. That is file encryption, and it cannot be removed without the password. This tool removes editing locks only: sheet protection, the workbook structure lock and the password to modify.

Will it show me the forgotten password?

No. The lock is removed from a new copy of the file; the password itself is not recovered or displayed.

Will my formulas, formatting and charts change?

No. Only the protection settings are deleted. Cell values, formulas, formatting, charts and macros are copied into the new file unchanged.

Which Excel files are supported?

Excel .xlsx and .xlsm workbooks and .xltx/.xltm templates. For an old .xls or a binary .xlsb file, open it in Excel and save it as .xlsx first.

Is it really free?

Yes. Every Feemag tool is free, with no sign-up, no watermarks added by us and no daily limits.

Are my files uploaded anywhere?

No. Your files are processed by your own browser on your device and never uploaded to a server. Processing speed depends on your device and file size.

Does it work on my phone?

Yes: in any modern browser (Chrome, Safari, Edge or Firefox) on iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows and Linux.

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