How to Remove a Password From an Excel Workbook
Open the file, go to File > Info > Protect Workbook > Encrypt with Password, delete the password, click OK and save. You need to know the password.
2026-10-14
How to remove a password from an Excel workbook
To remove the password from an Excel workbook, open it with the password, go to File > Info > Protect Workbook > Encrypt with Password, delete the password from the box, click OK, and save. The next time anyone opens the file, Excel will not ask for one.
You need to know the current password to do this. If it has been forgotten, Microsoft is clear that it cannot help: "If you forget or lose your password, Microsoft can't retrieve it for you."
The other thing worth knowing first is that Excel has four different passwords, and they are removed in four different places. Most failed attempts are someone clearing the wrong one.
TL;DR: Key takeaways
- Password to open: File > Info > Protect Workbook > Encrypt with Password, clear it.
- Password to modify: File > Save As > Tools > General Options, clear it.
- Locked sheet tabs: Review > Protect Workbook, enter the password.
- Locked cells: Review > Unprotect Sheet, enter the password.
- A forgotten password cannot be recovered by Microsoft.
Which password is it?
Microsoft's overview of protection separates file, workbook and worksheet protection. In practice, each one shows a different symptom.
| What happens | Which password | Where to remove it |
|---|---|---|
| Asked for a password before the file opens | Password to open (encryption) | File > Info > Protect Workbook |
| Asked for a password or offered Read Only | Password to modify | Save As > Tools > General Options |
| Cannot add, delete or rename sheets | Workbook structure | Review > Protect Workbook |
| Cannot edit cells on a sheet | Sheet protection | Review > Unprotect Sheet |
Remove the password to open
This is the password set through file encryption, and the one most people mean.
- Open the workbook, entering the password.
- Go to File > Info.
- Click Protect Workbook and choose Encrypt with Password.
- Delete the dots in the password box so it is empty, then click OK.
- Save the workbook.
The save matters. Until you save, the file on disk still has the password. Microsoft's file protection page covers setting this password, and removing it is the same dialog with the box left empty.
Remove the password to modify
A file that offers to open as Read Only unless you enter a password has a password to modify, set in a different place.
- Open the file with that password.
- Go to File > Save As, choose a location, and click Tools next to the Save button.
- Choose General Options.
- Clear the Password to modify box, click OK, and save.
The same dialog holds the password to open as well, so you can clear both there at once.
Remove workbook structure protection
If you cannot add, delete, move or rename sheets, the workbook structure is protected. Go to Review > Protect Workbook, enter the password, and the protection is switched off. This does not stop the file from opening, which is why people often miss it.
Remove sheet protection
If cells are greyed out or Excel refuses edits on a sheet, that sheet is protected. Go to Review > Unprotect Sheet and enter the password.
Microsoft notes that worksheet protection "is not intended as a security feature." It prevents accidental edits rather than securing data.
On a workbook with many protected sheets, the free Unprotect All Sheets macro asks for the password once and tries it on every sheet, then reports how many it unlocked and how many failed. Sheets protected with a different password are counted as failures rather than skipped silently. It only handles sheet protection; it does not touch the password to open or modify. Unprotecting all sheets walks through it.
If you have forgotten the password
Microsoft cannot retrieve it, and the password to open encrypts the file. The practical options are an older unprotected copy, your cloud version history, or whoever set it. In future, store the password somewhere safe, and see protecting all sheets with a password for when protection is worth adding.
Frequently asked questions
How do I remove a password from an Excel file?
Open the file with the password, then go to File > Info > Protect Workbook > Encrypt with Password. Delete the password so the box is empty, click OK, and save. The file will open without a password from then on.
Why does Excel still ask for a password after I removed it?
Either the file was not saved after clearing the password, or a different password is in play. A Read Only prompt means a password to modify, set in Save As > Tools > General Options. A locked sheet or locked tabs are separate again.
Can I remove an Excel password without knowing it?
Not through Excel. Microsoft cannot retrieve forgotten passwords, and the password to open encrypts the file. Look for an earlier unprotected copy, or ask whoever set the password.
What is the difference between Protect Workbook and Encrypt with Password?
Encrypt with Password stops anyone opening the file without the password. Protect Workbook on the Review tab locks the structure, so sheets cannot be added, deleted or renamed, but the file still opens normally. They are removed in different places.
How do I remove protection from all sheets at once?
Excel's own command works one sheet at a time. The free Unprotect All Sheets macro takes the password once and unprotects every sheet that uses it, reporting any sheet where the password did not match.
What to do next
Match the symptom to the password in the table, then remove it in the place listed, and save. For a workbook with many protected sheets, run Unprotect All Sheets instead of unprotecting each one by hand.