Excel is the most powerful spreadsheet tool that allows users to store data and manipulate it using complex formulae. Most users are fond of saving their files to prevent unauthorized access by using Document Open Password and Modify Password. One of the main reason for cracking Excel password include gaining access to the Excel file; the original author of the file might not be present, and this may warrant a user to crack Excel 2016 password. Secondly, you may have forgotten the password. This article explains different methods of cracking Excel 2016 password.

This section lists practical solutions of how to crack Excel 2016 password. The first is by using ZIP; secondly, by using the Save As feature; third, by using Excel 2016 password cracker.

Option 1. Crack Excel 2016 Sheet Password with ZIP

Forgot password of Microsoft Excel 2016? You can crack the password by changing the file extension and using an archiving software as shown in the procedure below.

Step 1: Open File Explorer by pressing hitting the Win + E keys simultaneously.

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Step 2: Navigate to the file that has been protected by a password, right-click it, select Rename and change its file extension/suffix from .xlsx to .zip. Click yes when a warning prompt appears on your screen.

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Step 3: Open the Zip file using an archiving software like ZIP/ WinZip/ 7Zip.

Step 4:Open the folder xl then click Worksheets. A file named sheet1.xml will be displayed. Open it using WordPad or Notepad.

Step 5: Locate and delete the sheetProtection tag, save it by pressing Ctrl + S simultaneously then close the file.

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Step 6: To update the sheet1.xml file in the ZIP archive, click OK.

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Step 7: Reverse step 2 buy changing the file extension from .zip to .xlsx.

Option 2. Crack Excel 2016 Workbook Modify Password by Saving As A New Document

Excel 2016 forgot password? One workaround for accessing the contents of the workbook is by using the Save As feature to bypass the Modify Password. Follow the procedure below.

Step 1: Open the Excel 2016 workbook, leave the password field blank when prompted to enter the Modify password. Click the “Read Only” button to open the workbook in read-only mode.

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Step 2: In the ribbon section, click File and then Save As, type in a different name and choose a different suitable location to save your file on your hard drive.

Step 3: Open the workbook. It won’t have any password restrictions.

Option 3. Crack Excel 2016 File Open Password with Excel Password Cracker

One of the easiest ways to perform Excel 2016 crack is by using an Excel password cracker. PassFab for Excel is a great tool that allows users to recover and remove passwords by using multi-core CPU and GPU acceleration coupled with three powerful attack options: dictionary attack, brute force attack and dictionary attack.

PassFab for Excel guarantees 100% decryption for both workbooks and spreadsheets, supports decryption of multilingual Excel files in swift speeds notwithstanding complexity and length of passwords. Better still, it allows users to recover passwords both online and locally. It is also compatible with MS Excel 2016/2013/2010/2007/2003/97 and Windows 10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP, Windows Server 2012 (R2)/2008 (R2)/2003 (R2).

Step 1: Download install and run the free trial version of this Excel password recovery tool on your computer.

Step 2: To import the encrypted file click the Add button located next to the Encrypted file option located under Step 1.

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Step 3: Select one of three attacks that will be used to recover the password: dictionary attack, brute force with Mask Attack or Brute Force Attack.

A. To use Dictionary Attack, download a dictionary or import it if you already have one. Dictionary attack works by choosing the correct password from the dictionary. The dictionary attack option guarantees great password recovery success rate.

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B. Brute Force with Mask Attack allows you to whatever you remember about your password. It customizes its results by using the symbols, numbers, and characters you enter to recover your password.

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C. Brute Force Attack uses a combination of all possible characters to unlock your password. This is the default way to unprotect Excel sheet.

Step 4: Click Start and wait for the password to be recovered. Finally, you will

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Conclusion

This article details different methods to crack or remove Excel 2016 password. Though the other methods are efficient, we recommend using PassFab for Excel because it boasts of multiple layers of functionalities. It supports three different types of attacks, i.e., brute force attack, brute force with mask attack, and dictionary attack. It is compatible with all versions of Excel and Windows. With PassFab for Excel, 100% decryption is a guarantee, supports decryption of different languages Excel files in swift speeds notwithstanding complexity and length of passwords.

Better still, it allows users to recover passwords both online and on your PC. Both workbooks and spreadsheets can be decrypted. Users are assured of online support from the team of customer care agents. The Pro version allows users to recover and remove passwords by using multi-core CPU and GPU acceleration.