Unlock Excel File

How to remove a password from an Excel file

1. Drop the encrypted workbook (.xlsx, .xlsm or .xlsb) onto the drop zone above, or click to choose it.
2. Type the workbook's Password, the one Excel asks for when you open the file.
3. Click Remove password. A wrong password is reported as "Incorrect password" and no file is produced.
4. Download the result. A workbook called budget-2026.xlsx is saved as budget-2026-unlocked.xlsx and opens without a prompt.

The workbook is decrypted inside your browser. Its contents and the password stay on your device.

Why remove the password from a workbook?

Encrypted workbooks are a good way to send figures safely, but they cause friction in day-to-day work:

• Imports and scripts. Reporting tools, database imports and scripts that read spreadsheets usually cannot handle an encrypted file.
• Cloud spreadsheets. Google Sheets and many previewers cannot open password-encrypted Office files.
• Handover. When someone leaves a team, a workbook protected with their personal password becomes hard to maintain. Decrypt it with the password and re-protect it with a shared one.

Unlocking always requires the current password. Only remove protection from workbooks that belong to you or your organisation, or that you have been authorised to use.

Supported encryption, and what stays protected

The tool decrypts both AES-based formats Excel has used for password-protected workbooks: Agile Encryption (Excel 2010 and later, Microsoft 365, LibreOffice) and Standard Encryption (Excel 2007). The decrypted copy contains exactly the workbook that was encrypted, with its formulas, charts and macros.

Some files are outside its scope:

• Old binary .xls workbooks using legacy RC4 encryption. Open them in Excel and save as .xlsx.
• Workbooks encrypted with a digital certificate instead of a password.

It is also important to know what "unlock" means here. The tool removes the password to open. It does not touch Protect Sheet or workbook structure protection. If cells are still locked after unlocking, those protections were set inside the workbook; remove them in Excel under Review > Unprotect Sheet, which needs the sheet password if one was set.

Tips

• After unlocking, export individual sheets for other systems with Excel to CSV.
• To replace the password instead of dropping it, protect the unlocked copy again with Protect Excel and a new password from the password generator.
• Combining several unlocked workbooks is easy with Merge Excel.
• Delete the unlocked copy when you no longer need it, especially if it contains salaries or customer data.

Frequently asked questions

Can you open an Excel file without the password?

No. The tool never cracks or guesses passwords. An encrypted workbook cannot be decrypted without the correct password, so a forgotten password means the data cannot be recovered with this tool.

I unlocked the file but still cannot edit some cells. Why?

Those cells are protected with Protect Sheet, which is separate from the password to open. Unprotect the sheet in Excel's Review tab.

Does it work with macro-enabled and binary workbooks?

Yes. Encrypted .xlsm and .xlsb files are accepted, and the decrypted copy keeps its original format and extension.

Is the workbook uploaded to a server?

No. Decryption happens in your browser, and nothing about the file or password is transmitted.