Ask Microsoft.

great idea.. but have you tried calling them? Not as easy as you think! I've tried already.

But thanks for the suggestion

Isn't that the idea of a password, though, to protect the contents of the file? If it were easy to crack, then every Tom, Dick and Harry would be levering their way into files that were not intended for their eyes. It would sort-of defeat the purpose of the password, really.

Or am I missing something?

you're right, but I'm the author of the spread sheet, and I'm just asking the question.

In fact the password is to lock the cells to prevent alteration to the sheet, not to prevent use or people seeing the content. Any ideas?

I'm with you Mikerho. brich has another option. He could figure out a way to get his spreadsheet written into a CSI, Law and Order or another television show episode. They'll figure out the password so fast, during the commercial break, that you'll be terrified about how to secure the rest of your guarded files.

Just having a little fun there, brich. Rereading what I wrote I see that it comes a little at your expense. Sorry about that, brich.

I've locked myself out of a program and file, too. I've prevented myself from repeating this faux pas by keeping a hand written code book with the keys to the keys to the files and programs that have been encrypted.

No worries.. I don't mind you having a laugh at my expense.. I'd do it to you in a heart beat!!

CSI.... gave them a call, Ted Danson couldn't come to the phone.. busy!!

Copy and paste..... thought of it for a nano-second and moved on....big spread sheet.

Important? Yes... however.... having a wee man with a gold watch waving in front of me telling me I'm sleepy is seeming more and more like the only solution!

You are getting sleepy... sleepy... sleepy...

the past tense of uranium is lead.

Isn't it "The past tense of Lead is Uranium"?

Right-O! I guess a caveat would be that you must either be clever OR very careful with your words in order to be clever.

Well, it doesn't matter how big is your sheet. Just left-click on the upper-left corner of the sheet (above "1" and left to "A") and the whole sheet will be selected. Then, right-click, choose "Copy" and paste it in a new Excel file (sheet) - ready!

big as in complex!! it really is huge file!..but thanks for the suggestion.

But if you have protected cells you can't copy them... I've tried!

Well, you didn't say. I'm with #5↑ now.

I have a VERY old XP pro laptop.. will try it out on that... I've also discovered a few more sites after the one you indicated.. all very much the same... and No, I'll not be beating my way to your door if it goes bang in my face.

I will just have to remember to write the bloody password down... If I could remember to do that..

Exellent. Commercially available Cracking software. Finally an answer to the question.

You get a good answer from me!!

And it uses a fairly straightforward "dictionary" attack. Might take a few hours. Or a few seconds.

In MS Word, ther is a command that lists all the steps used to generate a file. Maybe there is a similar command in Excel?

In MS Word, ther is a command that lists all the steps used to generate a file. Maybe there is a similar command in Excel? I made a mistake with this statement. I was thinking Autocad, not MS Word. Please ignore me.

This site appear to offer promise. I suggest you place the SS on a PC that you don't mind having viruses or has very good protection first.

http://www.petri.co.il/excel-password-recovery.htm

Brute force excel password cracker

Cracker search

Hi Birch,

If you do not use the cracker links above there may be another way. i know on older versions of excel you could write a macro in a new work book and get it to open the existing workbook, then run a loop to crack the password and access the file. one of those you'd leave running over night!!

I used to have a file with the macro on it but lost it to a poor external HD.

I know that this is very little use to you but just making you aware of the possibility. If you know VBA or a person who does or fancy a project could it may be option.. or maybe someone else here mite fancy the challenge of creating it!!

Find someone with the Numbers spreadsheet program on an Apple computer. it will open the excel file an ignore the passwords. Then it can be exported back into the .xls

The only draw back is , some custom formulas and macros are not recognized.

I had a similar issue, not because I forgot the p/w, but I was dabbling in VBA and inadvertently changed the p/w to something I couldn't reconstruct. Anyway, I found instructions on the web, which utizilize a "special" file named "password.xla" - Google it, downloand and launch and your problem will be solved. It worked as advertised for me.

will give this a try..

Many thanks for the advice all.... if only I could remember to write down my passwords

I thought, before reading these posts, that it wasn't possible to recover excel passwords, but...

Anyhoo: a couple of thoughts of mine:

Sometimes a "Save As" operation will remove passwords - try opening a read only copy and saving that. I know my "open and write" passwords have been defeated that way (seems a little pointless to have them at all, but at least I know the original can't be corrupted!)

As for writing them down....find an out-of-the-way cell and write the password in white, or colour the cell black and incorporate it in a border-type thing. Most people won't notice that the cell has content even if they click on it. If it says "Rosebud" they won't immediately think of it as a password. If you have a company logo inserted as a jpg in the file, use a cell behind this - chances of anyone clicking on it then are remote. Then you don't have to worry about losing the book, or keeping track of filenames and who's going to think you've put the password in the sheet?

I hide "ER me fecit" in spreadsheets I make for other people like this!

exposing ignorance here: could you load the spreadsheet into a more primitive piece of software? could you print it or export it to csv and then reload it into excel? can you export it as a spreadsheet format prior to passwords and then load it as that kind of spreadsheet? Sometimes if you go across platforms, you can nullify these things. could you pull it into a linux machine or a mac, and then save it and load it back on your current machine? I lost the password for the laptop I'm using right now--it used Vista, which is a worthless pile of junk but really has strong password protection that can only be broken by some kind of dictionary-based cracker. That was useless to me because I use really random passwords that no dictionary based cracker could crack. I had to wipe the hard disk and install a new operating system (Windows 7, a pile of crap with a slightly different smell) so I truly f eel for you. your dilemma is tragic. Good luck.

(Windows 7, a pile of crap with a slightly different smell)

So why do you use it? There are lots of alternatives!

I actually like Win 7 except for 3 or 4 irritations with the file system and the way the "new" windows explorer works. I think it's the best OS they've come up with (after some really atrocious failures...<sneeze _{Win Me}> Excuse me) There is no reason you should be tied to windows though if you don't like it.

I have a Linux engineering-based OS that I downloaded for free. Loaded a hard drive with it and it runs on my 64-bit computer as a dual-boot with Win7. If you're interested, you can find it here.

It comes with Open Office (similar to MS Office) and has file compatibility with MS Office, some drawing programs as well as math programs and 3-D modeling software, electronics modeling and CFD among many others. Firefox is standard and it has an email program as well.

If you feel like giving it a try and need some advice/help getting it up and running, don't hesitate to send me a PM.

Here's a bit of info to get you started:

http://www.caelinux.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

Cheers!

Oh, and welcome to CR4!

Search for (Office Password Recovery Pro) on the net. I bought it for $80.00 and have unlocked a lot of files for people and myself. Works great.

This is the same software as is associated with my suggestion in post #20. However, after some searching, I found a free version and it took care of my "lost" password.

can you lend it to me?

You can try Passware but they're pricey. There may be similar products, or ask a friend who may have access to one.