How to Find/Open Password For Protected Word Document

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Finding and accessing a password-protected Word document might be difficult without a password, but don’t panic. I’ll guide you through. I’ll show you how to open a closed Word document with or without a password.

How to Open Password Protected Word Document with Password

If you have a Word document password, this will be easy. The steps may change based on your Microsoft Word version. Perform the steps with different versions:

If you’re using Word 2010/2013/2016/2019/Microsoft 365:

  • Turn on Microsoft Word and input the password.
  • File > Information > Document Protection > Password Encryption
  • In a new window, erase the password and click “OK” to unlock the document.

For Word 2007 or earlier:

  • Start Word and input the password. Select “Save as” from the top left orange icon.
  • In a new window, select “Tools” > “General”
  • Remove “Password to open” and “Password to modify” passwords. Click “OK” to confirm.
  • Save the document to access it without a password. Please rename the document to avoid duplication.

How to UnProtect Encrypted Word Documents Without Password

But if you do not have a password, don’t worry. There are still a few ways you can try:

Method 1: Open read-only files with Google Docs

  • Sign in to Google Drive.
  • Select “Folders” in the lower right corner.
  • Upload the Word document using “Upload” and “Browse”.
  • Click “Open with Google Docs” from the file’s right.

You may now open and edit password-protected Google Docs.

Method 2: Use Notepad to unlock your Word document

  • Open the Word file in Microsoft Word to Save As > Save as Type > Word XML Document (*. xml)
  • Exit Word and find the new.xml file you created.
  • Right-click on the file and open it with a Notepad or other text editor.
  • Use Ctrl+F to open the search dialog and search for “Enforcement”. You will find “w:enforcement=”1″ or” w:enforce=”on”
  • Replace “1” with “0” and “on” in the search results. Save the.xml file.
  • Open the document again in Microsoft Word. Go to “File”> “Save As” > “Word Document (*.docx)”. Click “Save,” and the document will now be accessible without a password.

These methods also work for password-protected Zip files.

How to Set, Reset, Remove and Recover the Password of MS Word Files

Now let’s move on to setting, resetting, removing, and recovering passwords for MS Word files. It’s crucial to protect your confidential content, but it’s understandable if you forget or misplace your passwords. Here are different methods for handling password-related issues in Word 2007:

Method 1: Set a password to protect a Word 2007 file.

  • Open the Word file and click the Microsoft Office Button on the top left side.
  • Go to “Prepare” > “Encrypt Document”.
  • In the Encrypt Document dialog box, enter a password and click OK.
  • Confirm the password in the dialog box and click OK.
  • Save the password-protected Word 2007 file.

Method 2: Reset the password of an encrypted Word 2007 document.

  • Open the Word file and enter the current password.
  • Click the Microsoft Office Button and go to “Save As”. At the bottom of the Save As dialog box, click “Tools”.
  • On the Tools menu, click “General Options” to open the General Options dialog box.
  • In the “Password to modify” box, enter a new password.
  • Confirm the password in the dialog box and click OK.
  • Save the document with the new password.

Method 3: Remove a known password in Word 2007 documents.

  • Enter the password to open the document. Note that if you have forgotten or lost your password, you’ll need to use an MS Word password recovery tool to recover it.
  • Click the Microsoft Office Button, go to “Prepare”, and select “Encrypt Document”.
  • Clear the encrypted password in the Encrypt Document dialog box and click OK.
  • Save the file without a password.

Method 4: Remove a forgotten password in Word 2007 documents online.

  • If you’ve forgotten the password, you’ll need to use a password cracker. Search for a password cracker online.
  • Look for the “Unprotect your file” button.
  • Select the document you want to unprotect by clicking “Browse”, then click “Next step”.
  • Choose the “Remove password” method.
  • Wait a minute.
  • Download unlocked documents using the specified link. Please note that for large files, you may need a license key to unlock all files.

Method 5: Get your Word password back with Dossoft Word Password Rescuer

  • Click Open and select a Word file
  • Select one of the types of attacks to recover Word 2007 password
  • Configure Attack Settings
  • Click Start in the taskbar and wait for work to be completed.
  • The recovered password will appear in the box.

Bonus Tip: Use WinfrGUI to recover lost Word documents

Download WinfrGUI Free
  • Choose the address storage disc for the deleted Word file.
  • Click “Start” to scan.
  • If the deleted Word file appears in the list during scanning, click on it to see the content first.
  • If you want to recover files, click on the “Recover” button.

>>Also Read: 4 Methods to Recover Accidentally Deleted Folder on Computer

FAQs on How to Find/Open Password For Protected Word Document

Is there any way to open a password-protected Word document?

Yes. You can open read-only files with Google Docs, or you can try a slightly more complicated way by editing documents in a Notepad or another text editor.

How do I remove password protection from a Word document?

To remove password protection, open the document. Go to File > Information > Document Protection > Password Encryption. Remove the password and click “OK”.

How do I unlock a Word document if I forget my password?

You can configure a password by opening a document in a text editor and editing or deleting sections that are protected by a password.

I hope these tips are useful. Good luck in accessing and managing your password-protected Word documents!