Unprotect MS word Doument.

Step 3 Method 2: Find the password.

In WordPad (or notepad) open the HTML document you just created.

Search through the document for tag.

The value between the open and closed tag represents the password. It should be eight characters in length. Write this value down. (Characters: 12345678).

Close WordPad

Comments

[IPR123]

Thank you for the good idea.

I tried it on a file with edit protection in word 2010

At this stage I opened it up in Notepad++ and I found the password was shown as all zeros (was not blank in word however). So couldnt use the hex approach.

So I just deleted the two xml lines referring to protection, re opened in word and it seems to be fine. Note that you have to reset the view mode from web to normal otherwise the document looks odd on screen.

I also noticed that openoffice ignores the protection.

[rscsmith]

Useful instructable! Thanks. Just one edit suggestion:-

If you're using Word XP/2003 there is a short-cut. Try this:-
(courtesy of http://itmanager.blogs.com/notes/2005/04/how_to_crack_un.html )

If you are using office XP or 2003, you can change the view to HTML-Code using Microsoft Script-Editor by pressing the [Alt]+[Shift]+[F11] key combination.

Search for "Password" and you will find somethimg like this:
ReadOnly
19E8E61E

To remove the protection:
-Just remove those two lines, and after saving the document , the protection is gone.

To remove the password:
-replace the Password, here "19E8E61E", with "00000000", save the Document and close "Script-Editor".

Alternative you can save your document as .html and use a html-Editor.

Cheers, Rob.