Convert a read-only Excel file to an editable one
Remove the locks that keep a workbook read-only and download a copy you can edit. Free, no sign-up, and your file never leaves your browser.
Drop a read-only Excel file here
.xlsx, .xlsm, .xltx, or .xltm
Free · no sign-up · processed on your device
How it works
01
Drop the locked workbook
Add the .xlsx, .xlsm, or template file that Excel refuses to let you edit. It is read in your browser, not uploaded.
02
Enter a password only if asked
Sheet and workbook locks are removed without one. If the file is encrypted, type the password that opens it.
03
Download the editable copy
You get the same workbook — formulas, charts, formatting, macros — with the editing restrictions gone.
An .xlsx file is a zip archive, and most read-only states are just settings written inside it. Sheet protection, workbook structure locks, and the password to modify tell Excel to disable its own editing buttons; the password hash beside them never encrypts a single cell. This converter rewrites the archive without those settings and hands the workbook back. A file with a password to open is different: it is encrypted, so the converter asks for that password and decrypts the workbook before unlocking it.
What the converter unlocks
- Sheet protection that greys out cells, rows, and columns.
- Workbook structure locks that stop you adding, renaming, or unhiding sheets.
- Read-only recommended and the separate password to modify.
- The Marked as final flag that opens the workbook in reading mode.
- The password to open the file, once you supply that password.
With an editable copy in hand you can turn the unlocked sheet into a PNG, export it to CSV, or just read it in the browser.
Common questions
- How do I convert a read-only Excel file to an editable one?
- Drop the workbook into the converter above and download the copy it produces. Sheet protection, workbook structure locks, read-only recommended, and marked as final are removed from the file, so Excel opens the downloaded copy as a normal editable workbook.
- Do I need the password?
- Not for sheet protection, workbook protection, or the password to modify. Those are stored as settings inside the workbook, so they can be removed without knowing the password. You only need a password when the file is encrypted and Excel asks for a password before it shows you anything.
- Can it open a file if I forgot the open password?
- No. A file with a password to open is genuinely encrypted, and no tool can decrypt it without the password. If the converter asks you for a password and you do not have it, the file cannot be recovered here.
- Is my file uploaded to a server?
- No. The workbook is read, decrypted, and rewritten entirely in your browser using local JavaScript. The file and the password never leave your device, and nothing is stored.
- Will formulas, charts, and formatting survive the conversion?
- Yes. Only the protection settings are deleted from the file. Every other part of the workbook, including formulas, charts, pivot tables, conditional formatting, and macros, is copied across untouched.
- Why does Excel still open my file as read-only?
- Some read-only states live outside the workbook. Protected View appears for files downloaded from the web or opened from email, the file itself can be flagged read-only by Windows or macOS, and a shared file can be locked because someone else has it open. In those cases use Enable Editing, clear the read-only attribute in file properties, or save a local copy.
- Does it work with .xls files?
- No. The legacy .xls format stores protection differently. Open the file in Excel, save it as .xlsx, and then run it through the converter.
- Is removing Excel protection allowed?
- Sheet and workbook protection are documented by Microsoft as a way to prevent accidental edits, not as a security feature. Use the converter on files you own or are allowed to edit.