How to Remove Excel Password Protection (2 Methods)
Updated January 2026 • 5 min read
Forgot the password to unprotect an Excel sheet? Don't worry - sheet and workbook protection in Excel is designed to prevent accidental changes, not to provide strong security. Here are two ways to remove it.
Important Distinction
This guide covers sheet/workbook protection (editing restrictions). If your file requires a password just to open it, that's file encryption - a much stronger protection that cannot be removed without the original password.
Method 1: Use Our Free Online Tool (Recommended)
The easiest way to remove Excel password protection is to use our free tool at officepasswordremover.com.
Why Our Tool is Safe
- 100% Client-Side Processing: Your files never leave your computer. All processing happens in your browser using JavaScript.
- No Upload Required: Unlike other tools, we don't upload your file to any server. You can verify this by disconnecting from the internet after the page loads - it still works!
- No Tracking: We don't log file names or contents. Only anonymous usage statistics.
- Free Forever: No payment, no signup, no limits.
Steps:
- Go to officepasswordremover.com
- Drag and drop your protected Excel file (.xlsx or .xlsm)
- Click "Remove Password Protection"
- Download your unprotected file
Method 2: Manual XML Editing
If you prefer to do it manually, here's how. This method works because Excel files (.xlsx) are actually ZIP archives containing XML files.
Steps:
- Make a backup of your Excel file
- Rename the file extension from
.xlsxto.zip - Extract the ZIP to a folder
- Navigate to
xl/worksheets/ - Open each sheet XML file (sheet1.xml, sheet2.xml, etc.) in a text editor
- Find and delete the
<sheetProtection ... />tag - Save the file
- Re-zip all the extracted contents
- Rename the .zip back to .xlsx
<!-- Remove this entire tag -->
<sheetProtection password="CC45" sheet="1" objects="1" scenarios="1"/>
For workbook protection, look in xl/workbook.xml and remove the <workbookProtection ... /> tag.
Why Not Just Use the Tool?
The manual method is educational, but our tool does exactly the same thing - automatically, in seconds, without any risk of corrupting your file. Try it free →
Re-Adding Protection
After removing protection, you can add it back in Excel:
- Go to Review tab
- Click Protect Sheet or Protect Workbook
- Set a new password (make sure to remember it this time!)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this legal?
Yes, removing protection from files you own or have authorization to modify is legal. This tool is intended for legitimate use cases like recovering access to your own files.
Why is Excel protection so easy to remove?
Excel's sheet protection is designed to prevent accidental changes, not to provide strong security. Microsoft designed it this way intentionally. For sensitive data, use file-level encryption instead.
Will this work on password-protected (encrypted) files?
No. If a file requires a password to open, it uses strong AES encryption. This cannot be bypassed. Our tool only removes editing restrictions (sheet/workbook protection).
Does this work for Word and PowerPoint too?
Yes! Our tool supports .docx (Word) and .pptx (PowerPoint) files with similar editing restrictions.