Tech Support: How to unprotect Excel Sheet with Macro

The AllInternalPasswords Macro
This macro, for which the true origin is lost in antiquity, will unlock all the internal passwords in your workbook. It will report which password strings worked (so that if you have other workbooks by the same author, you can try it on them), but it will NOT report the original password (it can't - it's never stored - only the hash is saved in the file). I first saw it in a post by Bob McCormick. Norman Harker did an outstanding job in modifying it for workbook as well as worksheet protection. we mostly cleaned it up and made it a bit more efficient.
It shouldn't take more than a few seconds (certainly less than a minute) to find each password if you have a relatively up to date computer.
Working passwords will be returned in the form

    AAABABBABABX

where the first 11 characters will be As or Bs and the X represents a character from ASCII 32 (" " or space) to ASCII 126 ("~", or tilde). While the sheet or workbook will automatically be unprotected, the macro suggests you write this code down, not only for future use, but, people being creatures of habit, it may work on another sheet/workbook by the same author. Again, since it's not returning the original password, it's unlikely to be useful in breaking file or VBA project passwords.

DISCLAIMER: Please note that breaking password protection MAY violate laws or regulations in your jurisdiction. In the United States (currently) it is certainly OK to break password protection on sheets that you developed for your personal use, or for which you have permission from the author or owner. It's probably OK if you own the workbook, even if it was written by someone else. But neither Norman nor I are intellectual property lawyers in ANY jurisdiction, so, if in doubt, ask the original author, and if you can't ask - don't use it!

Public Sub AllInternalPasswords()
        ' Breaks worksheet and workbook structure passwords. Bob McCormick 
        '  probably originator of base code algorithm modified for coverage 
        '  of workbook structure / windows passwords and for multiple passwords
        '
        ' Norman Harker and JE McGimpsey 27-Dec-2002 (Version 1.1)
        ' Modified 2003-Apr-04 by JEM: All msgs to constants, and
        '   eliminate one Exit Sub (Version 1.1.1)
        ' Reveals hashed passwords NOT original passwords
        Const DBLSPACE As String = vbNewLine & vbNewLine
        Const AUTHORS As String = DBLSPACE & vbNewLine & _
                "Adapted from Bob McCormick base code by" & _
                "Norman Harker and JE McGimpsey"
        Const HEADER As String = "AllInternalPasswords User Message"
        Const VERSION As String = DBLSPACE & "Version 1.1.1 2003-Apr-04"
        Const REPBACK As String = DBLSPACE & "Please report failure " & _
                "to the microsoft.public.excel.programming newsgroup."
        Const ALLCLEAR As String = DBLSPACE & "The workbook should " & _
                "now be free of all password protection, so make sure you:" & _
                DBLSPACE & "SAVE IT NOW!" & DBLSPACE & "and also" & _
                DBLSPACE & "BACKUP!, BACKUP!!, BACKUP!!!" & _
                DBLSPACE & "Also, remember that the password was " & _
                "put there for a reason. Don't stuff up crucial formulas " & _
                "or data." & DBLSPACE & "Access and use of some data " & _
                "may be an offense. If in doubt, don't."
        Const MSGNOPWORDS1 As String = "There were no passwords on " & _
                "sheets, or workbook structure or windows." & AUTHORS & VERSION
        Const MSGNOPWORDS2 As String = "There was no protection to " & _
                "workbook structure or windows." & DBLSPACE & _
                "Proceeding to unprotect sheets." & AUTHORS & VERSION
        Const MSGTAKETIME As String = "After pressing OK button this " & _
                "will take some time." & DBLSPACE & "Amount of time " & _
                "depends on how many different passwords, the " & _
                "passwords, and your computer's specification." & DBLSPACE & _
                "Just be patient! Make me a coffee!" & AUTHORS & VERSION
        Const MSGPWORDFOUND1 As String = "You had a Worksheet " & _
                "Structure or Windows Password set." & DBLSPACE & _
                "The password found was: " & DBLSPACE & "$$" & DBLSPACE & _
                "Note it down for potential future use in other workbooks by " & _
                "the same person who set this password." & DBLSPACE & _
                "Now to check and clear other passwords." & AUTHORS & VERSION
        Const MSGPWORDFOUND2 As String = "You had a Worksheet " & _
                "password set." & DBLSPACE & "The password found was: " & _
                DBLSPACE & "$$" & DBLSPACE & "Note it down for potential " & _
                "future use in other workbooks by same person who " & _
                "set this password." & DBLSPACE & "Now to check and clear " & _
                "other passwords." & AUTHORS & VERSION
        Const MSGONLYONE As String = "Only structure / windows " & _
                 "protected with the password that was just found." & _
                 ALLCLEAR & AUTHORS & VERSION & REPBACK
        Dim w1 As Worksheet, w2 As Worksheet
        Dim i As Integer, j As Integer, k As Integer, l As Integer
        Dim m As Integer, n As Integer, i1 As Integer, i2 As Integer
        Dim i3 As Integer, i4 As Integer, i5 As Integer, i6 As Integer
        Dim PWord1 As String
        Dim ShTag As Boolean, WinTag As Boolean
        
        Application.ScreenUpdating = False
        With ActiveWorkbook
            WinTag = .ProtectStructure Or .ProtectWindows
        End With
        ShTag = False
        For Each w1 In Worksheets
                ShTag = ShTag Or w1.ProtectContents
        Next w1
        If Not ShTag And Not WinTag Then
            MsgBox MSGNOPWORDS1, vbInformation, HEADER
            Exit Sub
        End If
        MsgBox MSGTAKETIME, vbInformation, HEADER
        If Not WinTag Then
            MsgBox MSGNOPWORDS2, vbInformation, HEADER
        Else
          On Error Resume Next
          Do      'dummy do loop
            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
            With 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)
              If .ProtectStructure = False And _
              .ProtectWindows = False Then
                  PWord1 = Chr(i) & Chr(j) & Chr(k) & Chr(l) & _
                    Chr(m) & Chr(i1) & Chr(i2) & Chr(i3) & _
                    Chr(i4) & Chr(i5) & Chr(i6) & Chr(n)
                  MsgBox Application.Substitute(MSGPWORDFOUND1, _
                        "$$", PWord1), vbInformation, HEADER
                  Exit Do  'Bypass all for...nexts
              End If
            End With
            Next: Next: Next: Next: Next: Next
            Next: Next: Next: Next: Next: Next
          Loop Until True
          On Error GoTo 0
        End If
        If WinTag And Not ShTag Then
          MsgBox MSGONLYONE, vbInformation, HEADER
          Exit Sub
        End If
        On Error Resume Next
        For Each w1 In Worksheets
          'Attempt clearance with PWord1
          w1.Unprotect PWord1
        Next w1
        On Error GoTo 0
        ShTag = False
        For Each w1 In Worksheets
          'Checks for all clear ShTag triggered to 1 if not.
          ShTag = ShTag Or w1.ProtectContents
        Next w1
        If ShTag Then
            For Each w1 In Worksheets
              With w1
                If .ProtectContents Then
                  On Error Resume Next
                  Do      'Dummy do loop
                    For i = 65 To 66: For j = 65 To 66: For k = 65 To 66
                    For l = 65 To 66: For m = 65 To 66: For i1 = 65 To 66
                    For i2 = 65 To 66: For i3 = 65 To 66: For i4 = 65 To 66
                    For i5 = 65 To 66: For i6 = 65 To 66: For n = 32 To 126
                    .Unprotect Chr(i) & Chr(j) & Chr(k) & _
                      Chr(l) & Chr(m) & Chr(i1) & Chr(i2) & Chr(i3) & _
                      Chr(i4) & Chr(i5) & Chr(i6) & Chr(n)
                    If Not .ProtectContents Then
                      PWord1 = Chr(i) & Chr(j) & Chr(k) & Chr(l) & _
                        Chr(m) & Chr(i1) & Chr(i2) & Chr(i3) & _
                        Chr(i4) & Chr(i5) & Chr(i6) & Chr(n)
                      MsgBox Application.Substitute(MSGPWORDFOUND2, _
                            "$$", PWord1), vbInformation, HEADER
                      'leverage finding Pword by trying on other sheets
                      For Each w2 In Worksheets
                        w2.Unprotect PWord1
                      Next w2
                      Exit Do  'Bypass all for...nexts
                    End If
                    Next: Next: Next: Next: Next: Next
                    Next: Next: Next: Next: Next: Next
                  Loop Until True
                  On Error GoTo 0
                End If
              End With
            Next w1
        End If
        MsgBox ALLCLEAR & AUTHORS & VERSION & REPBACK, vbInformation, HEADER
    End Sub

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 Thanks

R.karthikeyan

Tech Support

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Tuesday, August 27, 2013

How to unprotect Excel Sheet with Macro

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