Dealing with important data requires maximum protection, so users often assign a password for it. But what to do if you forgot a password or can’t access a document for some other reason? In this article, we prepared the most useful ways of how to unlock word documents.
Methods of Getting Access for a Word Document Without a Password
It’s very common that a user somehow forgot the password they set previously. Perhaps, they could assign it incorrectly and now it is impossible to fill it incorrectly to get access to a file. Nevertheless, some methods may solve such a problem:
• To use downloadable software unlocking files. You can find many variants on the Internet – just choose one that suits you the most. The majority of them can instantly allow you to read a document. It will take some time to figure out the password, but if the application is trusted be sure of successful outcomes. Such programs deal with passwords of any length.
• Try online unlocking services. All you need is to upload a file you need to unlock. In a short time, it will be ready for you to access. Remember, that when you uploading any file it may remain on the server of the service and be later used for the benefit, so choose only trusted ones.
• If the password contains three characters or less, you can try to unlock the document without any software. To access a locked document, you need to create a new one, press ALT+F4, and enter a special code into “Module” in Microsoft Visual Basic applications. To get the code, just type “recover word document code” on any search engine. Then, the file will be accessed freely.
• Sometimes a document can be opened, but it has editing restrictions that can be unable only by entering a password. In this way, a user can download special software as well. It will help to disable restrictions in several clicks.
• Nevertheless, there is a workaround for such a situation without any third-party software. It doesn’t work for the latest version of Word since the 2007 one. You need to save the locked document in Word XML. Locate it in the same folder as the original version. Then, open the document via some TXT editor. Press Ctrl+F to type enforcement on the dialogue box. You will find a line in the code you need to change. If after “w: enforcement=” there is a “1” change it to “on” and vice versa in another case. After that, open the .xml file via Word and save it as a Word Document. It won’t require a password anymore.
How to Unlock Word Document with a Password
Things are much easier when you know a password but just can get how to unlock a document. If you are using old versions of Word (up to the 2007 version), follow the next steps:
• Open the file.
• Click “General Options” when you are using “Save as”. They locate in “Tools”
• Type a password in “Password to Open”.
In the latest versions, starting with the 2010 one, you need just to click on “Protect Document” that is located in “File” and click “Encrypt with Password”. It’s pretty simple and takes several moments to open a document.