unprotect utility

  • Thread starter Thread starter bo
  • Start date Start date
B

bo

I need a simple to use unprotect utility to crack an old
file for which I've forgotten my passwords. Any help or
link would be appreciated.
 
bo,

Attached below is a copy of a post by Norman Harker that should
be able to help you with your dilemma:

John

(Copied from a post by Norman Harker)

<snip>
Here's a standard collation of password recovery facilities.

Please note that unauthorized use of password recovery techniques can
breach software license agreements and leave you without otherwise
available
assistance and remedies. You may also be liable to being sued or even
prosecuted under the terms of the software license. You can in some
cases be in breach of terms of your employment contract and find
yourself out on
the street.

You are also warned that civil and criminal proceedings risks should not

be viewed lightly. If in any doubt, don't! Most, if not all, software
providers, will assist by email, free of charge, genuine cases where
users have
lost passwords and/or registration codes.

Anyone who has comments or sites to add please feel free to respond.

Obviously, this post comes with a complete money back guarantee. (You
paid none; you'll get none back!)

The real lessons to be learned? Keep a track of your passwords. Look
after your employees and they'll not leave without telling you the
passwords!
Excel is not, and has never been made out to be, secure as a mode of
storing
data.



Worksheet and Workbook (*Not* Protected (Un-openable) files).

http://www.straxx.com/excel/password.html
Free of charge but requests a donation. Excel 5.0 up to XP. They've been

going for years and it does reveal *a* password rather than *the*
password


For “Internal to Excel Worksheet and Workbook passwords up to 12
characters, the following code usually works. It’s from an original by
Bob McCormick

that I’ve amended to cover workbook passwords (not to be confused with
workbook file passwords). It seems to work OK for both as long as there
is
only one password used. The code finds *a* password, not *the* password,

issues a report and leaves the workbook / worksheet unprotected. In it’s

original (worksheet password only) form, you could use the reported
worksheet password to remove a workbook password if it was the same
password.


****

Sub InternalPasswords()
'Original (?)by Bob McCormick on NG:
' microsoft.public.excel.misc on 22 May 2001.
'Adapted for workbook passwords Norman Harker 19 Nov 2002
'Breaks workbook and worksheet password protection.
'Works for either workbook or worksheet passwords or both
' if the passwords are the same.
'If passwords are different then
' systematically "comment out" the nested if functions

Dim i As Integer, j As Integer, k As Integer
Dim l As Integer, m As Integer, n As Integer
Dim i1 As Integer, i2 As Integer, i3 As Integer
Dim i4 As Integer, i5 As Integer, i6 As Integer

On Error Resume Next
For i = 65 To 66: For j = 65 To 66: For k = 65 To 66
For l = 65 To 66: For m = 65 To 66: For i1 = 65 To 66
For i2 = 65 To 66: For i3 = 65 To 66: For i4 = 65 To 66
For i5 = 65 To 66: For i6 = 65 To 66: For n = 32 To 126
ActiveWorkbook.Unprotect Chr(i) & Chr(j) & Chr(k) & _
Chr(l) & Chr(m) & Chr(i1) & Chr(i2) & Chr(i3) _
& Chr(i4) & Chr(i5) & Chr(i6) & Chr(n)
ActiveSheet.Unprotect Chr(i) & Chr(j) & Chr(k) & _
Chr(l) & Chr(m) & Chr(i1) & Chr(i2) & Chr(i3) _
& Chr(i4) & Chr(i5) & Chr(i6) & Chr(n)
If ActiveWorkbook.ProtectStructure = False Then
If ActiveWorkbook.ProtectWindows = False Then
If ActiveSheet.ProtectContents = False Then
MsgBox "One usable password is " & Chr(i) & Chr(j) _
& Chr(k) & Chr(l) & Chr(m) & Chr(i1) & Chr(i2) _
& Chr(i3) & Chr(i4) & Chr(i5) & Chr(i6) & Chr(n)
Exit Sub
End If
End If
End If
Next: Next: Next: Next: Next: Next
Next: Next: Next: Next: Next: Next
End Sub

****

If this doesn’t work, then it could be that there is more than one
password used so you will have to modify the code by commenting out the
IF
function block of the code. This is done by simply putting a ‘ in front
of the
bits to be commented out.

Here is the commented out code that allows use for removal of the
worksheet password:

‘If ActiveWorkbook.ProtectStructure = False Then
‘If ActiveWorkbook.ProtectWindows = False Then
If ActiveSheet.ProtectContents = False Then
MsgBox "One usable password is " & Chr(i) & Chr(j) _
& Chr(k) & Chr(l) & Chr(m) & Chr(i1) & Chr(i2) _
& Chr(i3) & Chr(i4) & Chr(i5) & Chr(i6) & Chr(n)
Exit Sub
End If
‘End If
‘End If

Here is the commented out code that allows use for removal of the
workbook password:

If ActiveWorkbook.ProtectStructure = False Then
If ActiveWorkbook.ProtectWindows = False Then
‘If ActiveSheet.ProtectContents = False Then
MsgBox "One usable password is " & Chr(i) & Chr(j) _
& Chr(k) & Chr(l) & Chr(m) & Chr(i1) & Chr(i2) _
& Chr(i3) & Chr(i4) & Chr(i5) & Chr(i6) & Chr(n)
Exit Sub
‘End If
End If
End If


But how do I use this code? Here are instructions aimed at those who
don’t know how to get this code into their workbooks:

1. Print out a copy of these instructions (not compulsory but it will
make it easier)

2. Keep this newsgroup posting open.

3. Open Excel
4. Open the "offending" workbook
5. Press and hold down the Alt key
6. Press F11
7. Let go the Alt key

You're now in the Visual Basic Editor (VBE)
On left of screen is the Project Explorer


8. Select the name of your workbook
9. Right click > Insert > Module

There should now be a blank screen on the right with two drop downs
above.

10. Click this post's icon on your task bar
11. Press the maximize button to get it to full screen if it isn't
already.
(middle of top right three buttons)

11. Select all of the code above between **** (but not the ****)
12. Edit > Copy (or press copy icon or right click > copy)


13. Activate the Visual Basic Editor screen icon on your task bar.
14. Click in that blank screen area
15. Right click > Paste

16. Click on the Offending Files icon on your task bar (or left-most
Excel
icon
in the Visual Basic Editor toolbar)

You should be in your workbook now.

17. Tools > Macro > Macros
18. From the list select:
InternalPasswords
19. Click the button marked Run
20. Wait

You should get a message saying its found a password but don't worry
about that because after you click the OK button you'll find if you use
Tools
Protection that the workbook and worksheets are not protected.

21. Breathe sighs of relief!


In case you’re thinking of trying it, the passwords reported for
worksheet and workbook protection do not work for removing VBA or Excel
Workbook
file protection.

If and when you have success or failure with the above, please post back

to the newsgroup as it helps others to see that these things work or
not.
 
Hi,

No problem!

There are many tools available online to remove/recover a lost or
forgotten password in an Excel file, or unprotect a password protected
sheet or workbook. Some of these simple utilities are either free or
very cheap.

I quote from a recent post which I hope may prove helpful to you...

Please do not attempt to access a file unless you are authorised to do
so.

--- Original Message ---
There are a number of very good password cracking & recovery programs
available, many of which can easily be downloaded from the internet.
Have you tried any of the following web sites?

http://intertek.org.uk
Download a free program to recover Word or Excel passwords.

http://intertek.org.uk/services/
Send Word, Excel, MS Access, or Zip files to be unlocked.

password-crackers.com
Russian password crackers - excellent program based on encryption.

officerecovery.com
soft4you.com
elcomsoft.com
soft4you.com
officerecovery.com
lostpassword.com
accessdata.com
Some of the major commercial vendors.

http://spider.bokler.com/crak_body.html
A premier cracking information website.

Etc... I apologise to all those excellent websites I've missed.

Try a www search - there are many good sources of help with cracking
Word passwords, and indeed almost any password!
Good luck!
 
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