How to unlock an Excel file
Add the spreadsheet
Drop the .xlsx (or .xlsm) file into the box above, or click to choose it. The tool first reads the file — on this device only — to see which kind of protection it carries.
Check what was found
If the sheets or workbook are protected, the tool lists them. Those locks are editing restrictions stored inside the file, so no password is needed. If the file is encrypted, a password box appears instead — that protection can only be removed with the password the file opens with.
Unlock and download
Press the unlock button and download the new file, saved with “-unlocked” added to its name. Your original stays exactly as it was, so you can compare the two before you rely on the copy.
The two kinds of Excel password — and why they behave differently
Sheet and workbook protection is not encryption. When you protect a worksheet in Excel (Review → Protect Sheet), Excel writes a flag into the file saying “do not let people edit these cells”. The data itself is fully readable — which is why this tool, and Excel itself once the flag is gone, can open the file without ever knowing the password that set the flag. The same applies to workbook structure protection and to the “password to modify” that makes a file open read-only.
A password to open is real encryption. When you set one (File → Protect Workbook → Encrypt with Password), the whole file is scrambled with AES. Nobody — including this tool — can read a single cell without that password. If you know it, type it here and the tool decrypts your copy locally, exactly as Excel would, and hands back a normal .xlsx. If the password is forgotten, the only route back is guessing it — the recovery panel below does exactly that, systematically. Any website that promises to instantly “crack” a modern encrypted Excel file instantly is not telling the truth.
Frequently asked questions
Can I unlock an Excel sheet without the password?
Yes. Worksheet protection, workbook structure protection and the read-only write-reservation lock are settings inside the file, not encryption. This tool removes those settings without needing the password that created them.
I forgot the password that opens my Excel file. Can this recover it?
Not instantly — but recovery is built in below. A password to open encrypts the file with AES, so there is no back door: the only way in is to guess the password. The recovery panel tries the most common passwords, words you give it (names, companies, dates) with common endings like 123, 786 and years, your own wordlist file, and short brute-force combinations — all on your device. Passwords people choose to be memorable are often found; a long random password will not be.
Is my spreadsheet uploaded to a server?
No. The unlocker runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript — the file is read, unlocked and saved on your own device. You can confirm this by loading the page, switching off your connection, and unlocking: it still works.
Will formulas, formatting and charts survive?
Yes. The tool edits only the protection settings inside the file (or decrypts it); sheets, formulas, formatting, charts and data are passed through untouched. Macros in an .xlsm file are preserved, although Excel may still ask you to enable them, as it does for any macro file.
My file is an old .xls. Will it work?
Not directly. Save it from Excel as an .xlsx first (File → Save As → Excel Workbook), then unlock the saved copy here. The old binary .xls format stores protection differently and is not supported.
Is it legal to remove Excel protection?
Removing protection from files you own, or that you have permission to edit, is a normal part of working with your own documents — for example a workbook whose author has left the company. Do not use it on files you have no right to change.