How to Unprotect an Excel Spreadsheet

Remove protection from a worksheet or an entire workbook so you can edit it again — and an honest look at your options if you've forgotten the password on a file you own.

By the Quiriz Team · Published July 24, 2026 · 4 min read

The quick answer: Review → Unprotect Sheet, and enter the password if one was set. That covers most cases. Below is the difference between sheet and workbook protection, and an honest note on forgotten passwords.

Unprotect a worksheet

Go to the Review tab and click Unprotect Sheet. If the sheet was protected without a password, it unlocks straight away. If a password was set, Excel prompts for it — enter it and the cells become editable again. This is what's happening when cells look "greyed out" or refuse to change: the sheet is protected.

Unprotect the workbook

Sheet protection and workbook protection are separate. Workbook protection locks the structure — it stops sheets being added, deleted, renamed or reordered. To remove it, click Review → Protect Workbook to toggle it off (entering the password if one exists). If tabs are missing their right-click options, this is usually why.

Save your change

Once unprotected, save the file so it opens editable next time.

Lost the password on your own file? Protection is designed to resist bypassing, so there's no legitimate one-click removal. Your realistic routes are an earlier backup or the file's version history (OneDrive/SharePoint keep one), or asking whoever originally protected it. If the file belongs to someone else, the right move is to ask them.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I unprotect an Excel sheet?

Open the Review tab and click Unprotect Sheet. If a password was set when the sheet was protected, Excel asks for it. Once removed, you can edit every cell again.

What's the difference between protecting a sheet and protecting a workbook?

Sheet protection locks cells so their contents can't be edited. Workbook protection locks the structure — stopping sheets from being added, deleted, renamed or reordered. They're toggled separately, both on the Review tab.

Can I unprotect a sheet without the password?

Protection exists precisely to stop that, so there's no supported way to bypass a password you don't have. If it's your own file and you've lost the password, your realistic options are an earlier backup or version-history copy, or asking whoever set it. If it's someone else's file, ask them to unprotect it.

Why are the cells greyed out or uneditable?

The sheet is almost certainly protected. Go to Review > Unprotect Sheet. If there's no password, it unlocks immediately; if there is, you'll need it.

This guide covers removing protection from files you're authorized to edit. It doesn't cover bypassing passwords on files you don't own.