Is it possible to unlock a Word document without password?

Looking for a way around, I recently found out how to remove the Document Protection from Word files without knowing the actual password*:

* Note that this method only works with Word Docs that are protected from editing, not files that require a password to open.

1. Open the Word file in question (doc, docx)
2. Choose “File”, “Save File As”, and make sure the file format is set to “Rich-Text-Format (*.rtf)”. Close the file in Word (important!)
   

3. Open the new Rich-Text file with a text editor (e.g. Notepad or Notepad++). You can do so by dragging and dropping it into the editor window, or choose “File”, “Open File”, and set the file format to “All files (*.*)”.
4. Find (ctrl-f) “passwordhash” and replace the string that follows with something else (e.g. “nopassword”). Save and close the file in your text editor.
   

5. Re-open the modified Rich-Text file in Word, go to “Review”, “Restrict Editing” and click on “Stop Protection” (german version: “Überprüfen” – “Bearbeitung Einschränken” – “Schutz aufheben”). Uncheck all tick-boxes.
   
   
   

6. Done. You’ve unprotected your Word file without ever knowing the password.
7. Optional: Convert your file back to its original file format by selecting “File”, “Save As”, and choosing the original file format.

I’ve successfully tested the above workaround with Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010 and Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2013. Please let me know whether this works with older/newer Office versions by commenting on this post!

Also, if this tutorial just saved you a lot of time and work, my paypal page is always open for a cup of tea or, preferably, a piece of cake. :)

When you password protect a word document, Microsoft is highly recommend you to write down the password and keep it to a safe place, because no one can unlock the password protected Word file without the password. You can recover your Word document forgotten password with a tool, and then open it with the recovered password. But here this article will share you with a method how to open a Microsoft Word document without software when you forgot the protected password and it is locked.

Find back Word document protected password with VBA code

This method responds quickly on the Word document whose password is within 3 characters. If its password is longer than 3 characters, it may take longer time to response, or even doesn't response forever. If you are interested, have a try following the steps below.

1. Open a blank Word document.

2. Press "Alt + F11" keys at the keyboard to open Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications.

3. Click on Insert → Module.

4. Enter the VBA code on the below, and press F5 to run it.

5. On the File Open dialog, select the locked Word file and click on Open.

Wait for a while, if the password is recovered, a small dialog box pops up, and the password is showed on it. And then you can take this recovered password to open the locked Word document.

VBA code to recover Word document password:

Sub test()
Dim i As Long
i = 0
Dim FileName As String
Application.FileDialog(msoFileDialogOpen).Show
FileName = Application.FileDialog(msoFileDialogOpen).SelectedItems(1)
ScreenUpdating = False
Line2: On Error GoTo Line1
Documents.Open FileName, , True, , i & ""
MsgBox "Password is " & i
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
Exit Sub
Line1: i = i + 1
Resume Line2
ScreenUpdating = True
End Sub

Open locked Word document with a professional utility

If the opening password for your Word file is so long or complicated, the methods above won't work for you. It is highly recommended you to use the Cocosenor Word Password Tuner utility to help you unlock your password protected Word document, which won't cause any damage or data loss on the file.

To protect our Word document from accessing by other people unauthorized, we set an encryption password on it. But, if you forgot or lost the Word document protection password, how to open it without damage?

Here in this article will show you methods to recover or remove the forgotten password from MS Word document and unprotect it.

Because the versions of Office are various, the steps to unprotect your Word document may be a little different, here only take Microsoft Word 2010 as example.

Method 1: Recover your Word document lost password with VBA code

1. Open a new Word document.

2. Press "Alt + F11" to open the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications.

3. Click on Insert, select Module.

4. Enter the code in the General window, and then press F5.

5. Select the password protected Word file, click on Open.

6. Wait for a while, a small box with password pops up. Your Word document encrypted password has been recovered successfully!

7. Click on OK to close the small box, and now the encrypting document has been opened.

8. Click on File → Protect Document → Encrypt with Password.

9. Clear the password on the text box, click on OK to remove protection password from the Word document. And then the next time you can open it without password.

This way only works when your password is within 7 characters, if longer than 7, try with the method below to unprotect your locked Word document with password assistant.

Method 2: Unprotect Word document efficiently with password assistant

1. Download Word Password Tuner program.

2. Install and start it on the computer where you are going to unprotect Word document.

3. Click on Open to select your encrypted document that need to be unprotected.

4. Select the attack type below Recovery Type.

5. Click on Start and begin to recover password.

6. After the lost password is recovered, use it to open your Word file, and then you can clear the protection password to unprotect the Word document with the method above.

Select which recovery type?

a. Normal Recovery? If you do not know or remember any thing about the password, select Normal, which will try all possible password combinations to recover your Word password efficiently.

b. Mask Recovery? If you still remember some part of your password, select Mask, which will save you much of recovery time.

c. Dictionary Recovery? If you have noted your password on a document, use it to create a password dictionary, and select the Dictionary recovery type, which will try all the passwords on the dictionary to find out your Word password instantly!

d. Smart Recovery? If your password is complicated, select Smart recovery, which will try all possible combinations on the printable characters to recover password automatically.

The Word Password Tuner can be applied to all versions of Word (*.docx, *.doc) documents on Office, including Word 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, 2003, 2000, XP.

But the Word Password Tuner free trial one, only works when your passcode is within 3 characters, if need, download the full version.

Method 3: Unprotect MS Word document without password

1. Start Office Password Remover on Cocosenor program.

(If don't see it on your computer, you need to download and install it first.)

2. Click on Open to select the locked (.doc) document. And then click on Remove Password button.

When get the massage "The File decrypt successfully!" It means the protection password has been removed.

3. Click on Open button on the dialog, you will see the locked document open without password. And your Word file has been unprotected successfully without the lost password!

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