Question

Unprotect Excel password in new SAVE AS file

Asked by: mashmallow

Hi,

I would like to know what should I do in order to save an Excel work sheet (Password Protected) to an Excel unprotected work sheet.

For example:

Excel file A is protected by password '1234'

User open this file A then SAVE AS Excel file B.

By default, Excel file B will have the same '1234' password. but what i need to do here is:

Excel file A is remain protected but Excel file B is password free. Finally user do not know what is the password for Excel file A. Yet they can do modification on Excel file B.

Does it sound confusing? Thanks anyway!  

Regards,
Mashmallow

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Asked On
2004-03-24 at 01:01:17ID20929997
Tags

excel

,

unprotect

,

password

,

file

,

save

Topic

Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet Software

Participating Experts
6
Points
200
Comments
11

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Answers

 

by: tapankhatriPosted on 2004-03-24 at 02:40:20ID: 10666004

Hello Mashmallow,
Use,

ActiveWorkbook.SaveAs Filename:="Book", password:=""

insted of ActiveWorkbook you can use,
Workbooks("WorkbookName").SaveAs Filename:="Book", password:=""

In general (with out macro)

Goto File > Save As > Press Tool Button > Make the password field blank and save the file.

Tapan.

 

by: JustinCase2Posted on 2004-03-24 at 02:49:38ID: 10666103

Hi Mashmallow,

How does the user open the file without the password? Through a VBA script?

Anyway, you may wish to look into the WorkbookBeforeSave event. For example:

Private Sub App_WorkbookBeforeSave(ByVal Wb As Workbook, _
        ByVal SaveAsUI As Boolean, Cancel as Boolean)

'Not sure I'm on the right path here. Anyway, try this, change the filename as need be

    ActiveWorkbook.SaveAs Filename:="C:\Excel Files\B.xls", FileFormat:= _
        xlNormal, Password:="", WriteResPassword:="", ReadOnlyRecommended:=False _
        , CreateBackup:=False

End Sub

Regards,
Justin

 

by: mashmallowPosted on 2004-03-24 at 03:06:29ID: 10666302

Hello Tapan and Justin,

Thanks for your valuable comment. There are 2 way of password protected in Excel.

First method:
File > Save As > Press Tool Button  > General > Key in password.

2nd method:
Tool > Protection > Protect Sheet

My way of protect the Excel file is using 2nd method, therefore the user able to read the Excel file.

What I need to do here is user still able to read the file, but can't make any change on it. If user need to modify the file, that must be done in his/her own copy.

Let consider this event happen:
When user choose to save as the file, the dialog box xlDialogBoxSaveAs pop out, with Save and Cancal button.

I need to know, how to get the return from the event click Save and click Cancel.

What I need to do:
Click Save: save the file and unprotect the new save file.
Click Cancel: Do nothing.

Thanks again!


 

by: AlaAgogoPosted on 2004-03-24 at 06:07:19ID: 10667754

Dear Mashmallow,

In order to get the return from xlDialogBoxSaveAs, you need to trigger the event from the code not from user click 'Save As'. So the right time to trigger it when user want to close/exit the workbook.

Private Sub Workbook_BeforeClose(Cancel As Boolean)
Dim dlgAnswer As String
dlgAnswer = Application.Dialogs(xlDialogSaveAs).Show
If dlgAnswer = "True" Then 'Return True for Save, False for cancel
    'Put the code to unprotect the new saved file
Else
    'Do nothing
End If
End Sub

Hope it will help you LSF s.a.m

AlaGogo

 

by: sk009Posted on 2004-03-24 at 07:03:36ID: 10668339

Mashmallow

Copy and paste the code below in "This workbook" section of VB
(remember to change the sheet name to the actual name of the proected worksheet and the unprotect password to the actual password used by you to protect the sheet. Also, change the path name to the desired location and the "ABC" represents the file name to be given to the new workbook.

Sub Workbook_BeforeClose(Cancel As Boolean)
 dosave = MsgBox("Do you wish to save the current workbook?", vbYesNoCancel, "Unsaved workbook")
  Application.DisplayAlerts = False
  Application.ScreenUpdating = False
 If dosave = 6 Then
   ActiveWorkbook.Save
   Sheets("Sheet1").Unprotect Password:="abc"
Restart:
    SaveAsName = "H:\Macro Testing\" & "ABC"
    On Error GoTo Restart
    ActiveWorkbook.SaveAs Filename:=SaveAsName, FileFormat:= _
        xlNormal, Password:="", WriteResPassword:="", ReadOnlyRecommended:=False _
        , CreateBackup:=False
   DontSaveIt = False
  ElseIf dosave = 2 Then
   Cancel = True
   Exit Sub
  Else
   DontSaveIt = True
 End If
 If DontSaveIt = False Then
  ActiveWorkbook.Save
 Else
  ActiveWorkbook.Saved = True
 End If
End Sub

hope this helps
SK

 

by: sk009Posted on 2004-03-24 at 07:10:24ID: 10668405

Mashmallow:

Forgot to mention that the path to be given in the SaveAsName should be an existing one. e.g. if you are giveing the path as "C:\XYZ", the XYZ directory should be present.

SK

 

by: sk009Posted on 2004-03-24 at 07:23:41ID: 10668536

Another comment:

It would be a good idea to password protect the code from viewing. Otherwise, one can always go in the VB editor and see what the password for sheet protection is (in the give code - it is abc).

SK
P.S. Maybe 50 points are a bit low for this. (hahaha)

 

by: sk009Posted on 2004-03-25 at 07:08:40ID: 10677641

Hello Mashmallow,

Thanks for the points and the grade. Hope the code worked fine for you.

SK

 

by: SpajeolyPosted on 2009-02-18 at 19:54:21ID: 23677771

Why not just remove the protection? This code will do it.

Dim i As Integer, j As Integer, k As Integer
  Dim l As Integer, m As Integer, n As Integer
  Dim i1 As Integer, i2 As Integer, i3 As Integer
  Dim i4 As Integer, i5 As Integer, i6 As Integer
  On Error Resume Next
  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
     
        
 ActiveSheet.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 ActiveSheet.ProtectContents = False Then
      MsgBox "One usable password is " & Chr(i) & Chr(j) & _
          Chr(k) & Chr(l) & Chr(m) & Chr(i1) & Chr(i2) & _
          Chr(i3) & Chr(i4) & Chr(i5) & Chr(i6) & Chr(n)
   ActiveWorkbook.Sheets(1).Select
   Range("a1").FormulaR1C1 = Chr(i) & Chr(j) & _
          Chr(k) & Chr(l) & Chr(m) & Chr(i1) & Chr(i2) & _
          Chr(i3) & Chr(i4) & Chr(i5) & Chr(i6) & Chr(n)
       Exit Sub
  End If
  Next: Next: Next: Next: Next: Next
  Next: Next: Next: Next: Next: Next
 
 
End Sub
                                              
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by: SpajeolyPosted on 2009-02-18 at 19:55:39ID: 23677780

Oh, my bad, I didn't realize you had the password.

 

by: xpsavyPosted on 2009-05-22 at 22:47:50ID: 24456861

Hey guess what...this is what i have to say.
Install openoffice.org open the excel sheet with openoffice.org Calc and save as Windows 2003 format again. Voila, the protection is gone.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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