How To Reset Vba Code In Excel
Eustolia Pennycuff
Yes there is, as long as you are using a .xls format spreadsheet (the default for Excel up to 2003). For Excel 2007 onwards, the default is .xlsx, which is a fairly secure format, and this method will not work.
DISCLAIMER This worked for me and I have documented it here in the hope it will help someone out. I have not fully tested it. Please be sure to save all open files before proceeding with this option.
*NOTE: Be sure that you have changed the password to a new value, otherwise the next time you open the spreadsheet Excel will report errors (Unexpected Error), then when you access the list of VBA modules you will now see the names of the source modules but receive another error when trying to open forms/code/etc. To remedy this, go back to the VBA Project Properties and set the password to a new value. Save and re-open the Excel document and you should be good to go!
With my turn, this is built upon kaybee99's excellent answer which is built upon Đức Thanh Nguyễn's fantastic answer to allow this method to work with both 32/64 bit versions of Office.
Colin Pickard has an excellent answer, but there is one 'watch out' with this. There are instances (I haven't figured out the cause yet) where the total length of the "CMG=........GC=...." entry in the file is different from one excel file to the next. In some cases, this entry will be 137 bytes, and in others it will be 143 bytes. The 137 byte length is the odd one, and if this happens when you create your file with the '1234' password, just create another file, and it should jump to the 143 byte length.
This is not valid for Excel 2007/2010 files. The standard .xlsx file format is actually a .zip file containing numerous sub-folders with the formatting, layout, content, etc, stored as xml data. For an unprotected Excel 2007 file, you can just change the .xlsx extension to .zip, then open the zip file and look through all the xml data. It's very straightforward.
However, when you password protect an Excel 2007 file, the entire .zip (.xlsx) file is actually encrypted using RSA encryption. It is no longer possible to change the extension to .zip and browse the file contents.
It's simply a matter of changing the filename extension to .ZIP, unzipping the file, and using any basic Hex Editor (like XVI32) to "break" the existing password, which "confuses" Office so it prompts for a new password next time the file is opened.
Microsoft Office VBA Project passwords are not to be relied upon for security of any sensitive information. If security is important, use third-party encryption software.
In the event that your block of CMG="XXXX"\r\nDPB="XXXXX"\r\nGC="XXXXXX"in your 'known password' file is shorter than the existing block in the 'unknown password' file, pad your hex strings with trailing zeros to reach the correct length.
For Excel 2007 onward you need to change your file extension to .zipIn the archive there is a subfolder xl, in there you will find vbaProject.bin.Follow the step above with vbaProject.bin then save it back in the archive.Modify back your extension and voil! (meaning follow steps above)
Colin Pickard is mostly correct, but don't confuse the "password to open" protection for the entire file with the VBA password protection, which is completely different from the former and is the same for Office 2003 and 2007 (for Office 2007, rename the file to .zip and look for the vbaProject.bin inside the zip). And that technically the correct way to edit the file is to use a OLE compound document viewer like CFX to open up the correct stream. Of course, if you are just replacing bytes, the plain old binary editor may work.
If the file is a valid zip file (the first few bytes are 50 4B -- used in formats like .xlsm), then unzip the file and look for the subfile xl/vbaProject.bin. This is a CFB file just like the .xls files. Follow the instructions for the XLS format (applied to the subfile) and then just zip the contents.
Tom - I made a schoolboy error initially as I didn't watch the byte size and instead I copied and pasted from the "CMG" set up to the subsequent entry. This was two different text sizes between the two files, though, and I lost the VBA project just as Stewbob warned.
Using HxD, there is a counter tracking how much file you're selecting. Copy starting from CMG until the counter reads 8F (hex for 143) and likewise when pasting into the locked file - I ended up with twice the number of "..." at the end of the paste, which looked odd somehow and felt almost unnatural, but it worked.
I don't know if it is crucial, but I made sure I shut both the hex editor and excel down before reopening the file in Excel. I then had to go through the menus to open the VB Editor, into VBProject Properties and entered in the 'new' password to unlock the code.
ElcomSoft makes Advanced Office Password Breaker and Advanced Office Password Recovery products which may apply to this case, as long as the document was created in Office 2007 or prior.
The protection is a simple text comparison in Excel.Load Excel in your favourite debugger (Ollydbg being my tool of choice), find the code that does the comparison and fix it to always return true, this should let you access the macros.
The truth is that the code files for most macro-enabled Office documents are not encrypted and the password only prevents opening the project with Office programs.This means that, as other answers suggested, you can usually use an Office alternative to access and edit the file.
However, if you just need access to the code, you can use a tool like oledump.py to extract the Macro code. This is useful for malware analysis, as well as getting most of the code from the file so that you don't have to start from scratch if you forget the password.
For Excel 2016 64-bit on a Windows 10 machine, I have used a hex editor to be able to change the password of a protected xla (have not tested this for any other extensions).Tip: create a backup before you do this.
Log in to your student email using the Email link at the upper right hand corner of the web page, or the Sign in button below.
Security Setup: When you log into your account for the first time, you will be guided through some steps for account security. If you don't wish to download the Microsoft Authenticator app, look for the link on the left side of the screen that says, "I want to set up a different method." You can then select "mobile phone" to send a code to your cell phone.
Having trouble? Contact the LRC Computer Lab for help at 253-589-5820 or lib...@cptc.edu.
You can reset your password using the above steps at any time, wherever you have access to the internet. If you forget your password, you may reset your password by following the Password Recovery process at
Student email is one of the important ways the college sends students up-to-date college information about campus closures, deadlines, scholarship opportunities and upcoming events. Please check your student email on a regular basis!
Your email username is based on your first initial of your first name, full last name and last four digits of your ctcLink ID; and your default password is based on your birthdate. Scroll up this page to the boxes for specific information on your username and default password!
If you're trying to sign in to Office with your personal Microsoft account, but you're already signed in with your work or school account, you need to sign out and then sign in with the correct Microsoft account (or vice versa).
Another option is to open a private browsing session in a new browser window. (Search your browser's help if you don't know how to do this.) When you open a private browsing session your browsing data (history, temporary internet files, and cookies) isn't saved so you can sign in with a different account.
Information Technology Services is here to power your journey with fast, reliable internet, modern software and apps and professional technical support. The Getting Started section is filled with tasks new students should complete at the same time as Orientation. Items in the Preparing for the New Semester section will help you get ready for a new semester or make your transition to campus easier and less stressful. Lastly, the On-Campus Technology section contains instructions and tasks best completed when you're on campus.
Your Network Identification, or Net-ID, is the group of characters before the "@" sign of your Iowa State email address. It is different than your University ID, which is the nine-digit number listed on the front of your ISUCard.
Your Net-ID is important because it serves as your unique identifier during your adventure at Iowa State. In fact, many Iowa State accounts to which students have free access automatically recognize Iowa State Net-IDs as login credentials. You may have already created your Net-ID through your Iowa State admissions account, but if not you can set it up now.
At some point, you may get locked out of your account or need to change your password for security reasons. We recommend enabling Password Reset for your account so you can quickly and easily reset your password any time - day or night. Without this feature enabled, you'll have to contact the IT Solution Center to have it reset. Follow the instructions below, also available in the ISU Service Portal.
Iowa State uses a cybersecurity tool called multifactor authentication (MFA) to protect your login information. With MFA, you are required to complete a second login step after inputting your Net-ID (username) and password - like typing in a code received via text message. You will be automatically prompted to enable MFA when first signing into your Iowa State accounts.
There are five different verification options available for MFA: the Okta Verify app, the Google Authenticator app, SMS text message, voice call and Yubikeys (a USB-type physical device). Okta Verify is recommended for ease of use. You can learn more about the verification options in the ISU Service Portal. Most verification options will require a cell phone. If you don't have a cell phone and can't acquire a Yubikey, please contact the IT Solution Center before attempting to activate MFA.
c80f0f1006