Excel is one of the most used software in the corporate and business world. It is used for a wide range of activities such as, data analysis, financial modeling, mathematical calculations, and data visualization. Sometimes when using Excel, you may come across some issues such as locked files that can prove quite frustrating. In this article, we will guide you on how to unlock Excel files without having to use any complicated applications.
How to Unlock Excel Files
Before we dive into the steps that will help you unlock Excel files, it is important to note that this method will only work if you are the owner of the locked file, that is, you know the password to the file. Here are the steps to follow:
- Open the Excel file that is locked and click on the “File” tab.
- From the drop-down menu, click “Info” and select “Protect Workbook”.
- In the drop-down menu that appears, select “Encrypt with Password”.
- The “Encrypt Document” dialog box will appear. Delete the dots in the “Password” field and click “OK”.
- The password will be removed and the Excel file will now be unlocked.
This method is quite simple and straightforward. It should take you only a few minutes to unlock your Excel file. However, if you do not know the password to the file, the process becomes a bit more complicated. In such a case, you will need to use a third-party application to unlock the file. Here are some of the applications that you can use:
- PassFab for Excel
- Excel Password Recovery Lastic
- Excel Key
These applications are quite powerful and can help you unlock even the most stubborn of Excel files. However, it is important to note that these applications are not free and you will have to pay a fee to use them.
How to Show Comments on Excel
When working with Excel, comments can prove quite useful in providing additional context to the data in the sheet. However, they can also be a bit distracting when you are not using them. In this section, we will guide you on how to show comments on Excel sheets.
- Open the Excel sheet that contains the comments you want to show.
- Click on the “Review” tab on the ribbon.
- From the “Comments” section on the ribbon, select “Show All Comments”.
- All the comments in the sheet will be displayed.
This method is simple and straightforward. It should only take you a few seconds to show all the comments in your Excel sheet.
How to Preview PDF Files in File Explorer
If you work with PDF files often, it can prove quite useful to be able to preview the files before opening them. This can save you a lot of time since you will not have to open the files to see what they contain. Here is how to preview PDF files in File Explorer:
- Open File Explorer.
- Go to the folder that contains the PDF file you want to preview.
- Click on the PDF file once to select it.
- Click on the “View” tab on the ribbon.
- From the “Layout” section, select “Preview pane”.
- The preview pane will appear on the right side of the File Explorer window.
- You can now preview the PDF file without having to open it.
This method is quite simple and can save you a lot of time when working with PDF files in File Explorer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I unlock Excel files without knowing the password?
A: Yes, you can unlock Excel files without knowing the password. However, you will need to use a third-party application to do this.
Q: Is it possible to preview other file formats in File Explorer?
A: Yes, it is possible to preview other file formats in File Explorer such as images and videos. However, not all file formats can be previewed in File Explorer.
Video Tutorial: How to Unlock Excel Files
Here is a video tutorial that demonstrates how to unlock Excel files:
