I recently got locked out of an old Excel workbook because I completely forgot Excel sheet password. While searching online, I found a lot of suggestions like changing the file extension to ZIP, editing XML files, or using VBA scripts to unprotect the workbook.
The problem was that most of these methods seem to work only for basic worksheet/workbook protection. My file was actually encrypted with a password, so none of the tricks worked.
After trying for a while, I decided to use Sys Tools Excel Password Recovery. It wasn't instant—the recovery process took almost three days because the password was fairly complex—but the tool eventually recovered the correct password and I was able to open the workbook normally.
Just wanted to share my experience in case anyone else is dealing with a genuinely password-protected Excel file. Has anyone here successfully recovered an Excel password using other methods, or was dedicated recovery software the only thing that worked for you as well?