How do you open a password protected Excel File if forgot password?

To open a password-protected Excel file that you have forgotten the password for, you will need to follow a few steps. Please note that these steps are applicable for Excel versions 2013 and later.

1. Open Excel: Launch Microsoft Excel on your computer.

2. Open the desired workbook: Click on the “File” tab located in the top left corner of the Excel window. From the drop-down menu, select “Open” or press “Ctrl + O” on your keyboard to open the Open dialog box.

3. Select the password-protected workbook: In the Open dialog box, navigate to the location where the password-protected workbook is saved. Click on the workbook file to select it, and then click on the “Open” button.

4. Enter the password: A Password dialog box will appear, prompting you to enter the password for the workbook. As you have forgotten the password, leave the password field blank and click on the “OK” button.

5. Unprotect the sheet: Once the workbook is open, navigate to the worksheet that you want to unprotect. Right-click on the sheet tab at the bottom of the Excel window and select “Unprotect Sheet” from the context menu. If the sheet is password protected, you will be prompted to enter the password. Since you do not remember the password, leave it blank and click on the “OK” button.

With these steps, you should be able to open and unprotect the password-protected Excel file. However, please keep in mind that this method only works if the sheet or workbook protection is not very complex. If the password is strong and the file is well-protected, you may need to explore other options.