How to remove the "open" password from an Excel file

Question

I am trying to remove the "open" password from an Excel file I created some time ago. I know the password so the data is not lost but I want a version that doesn't require a password to open it.

I have done this several times before by using File Save As, More Options, Tools, General Options and then deleting the dots.

Now it appears that the "General Options" dialogue does not work at all - Cannot change the "Always create a backup" tick or the "Read only recommended" tick - even the OK and Cancel don't work I have to click on the X to close the box.

Is anyone else having this issue or is it specific to my build? (I suspect OneCommander file manager as this the only app I can think of that might get in the way of a file dialogue)

Answer 1

I was able to remove the password in the usual way by temporarily disabling the "dialogue connector" function of OneComander by clicking on the "minimize" button as per this picture Screenshot.png

Answer 2

To remove the "open" password from an Excel file, you can follow these steps:

1. Open the Excel file that has the password.
2. Enter the password to access the file.
3. Click on the File tab in the ribbon.
4. Select Save As.
5. In the Save As dialog, look for More Options.
6. Click on Tools in the lower right corner of the dialog box.
7. Select General Options.
8. In the General Options dialog, you will see a field for the password. Delete the password from this field.
9. Click OK to close the General Options dialog.
10. Save the file.

If you are experiencing issues with the General Options dialog not responding, it may be related to your specific build or an interference from other applications like OneCommander. You might want to try disabling or uninstalling any third-party file managers temporarily to see if that resolves the issue.

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References:

• Microsoft Security Bulletin MS08-043 - Critical
• Microsoft Security Bulletin MS12-076 - Important