First: open the file and see when it asks for the password
There are two very different kinds of lock, and the fix depends entirely on which one you have:
• Type 1 (easy): the file opens and shows the data, but you can't edit it or remove the protection. This is only an "edit protection" lock.
• Type 2 (hard): the file won't open at all; it asks for a password before showing anything. This file is encrypted.
Type 1: the file opens but is protected against editing
This is easy because the data isn't encrypted, only editing is restricted:
• In Excel: open the file, Review tab, Unprotect Sheet or Unprotect Workbook.
• In Word: open the file, Review tab, Restrict Editing, Stop Protection.
• In PDF (protected against printing or copying only, but opens normally): use our "Unlock PDF" tool, which removes this restriction instantly.
Type 2: an encrypted file that won't open
This is the hard case, and we have to be honest: an encrypted file is designed not to open without the correct password, that is exactly what keeps your data safe. No reputable site (including us) can unlock it with one click; if one could, the encryption would be worthless.
If the password is completely lost, the chance of recovering the file is low, and your best hope is to find the password itself (see below).
Try to find the password itself (your best hope)
Before giving up, hunt for the password, it's often recoverable:
• Try every password you normally use; it's usually one of them.
• Search your email (Gmail or Outlook): if the file was sent to or from you, the password is sometimes in the same message.
• If the file came from an accounting app, a company or another person, ask whoever created or sent it.
• Look for an older copy of the file from before it was locked (an old email, WhatsApp, a USB drive, Google Drive, or a backup).
So it doesn't happen again
• Save the passwords of important files somewhere safe (a password manager or a written record).
• Keep a backup of important files on Google Drive or an external drive.
• If a file doesn't need strong encryption, use edit protection only, it's far easier to recover.
Contact us
If you're not sure which type your file is, contact us from the "Contact us" page and describe the problem, and we'll point you to the right steps.