How to remove VBA Macro Password from Excel/Word/PowerPoint (Automatic Method)

In the previous post, we learned how to remove password from a VBA macro in Excel, PowerPoint, or Word (both 32- and 64-bit) the hard way. In this post we will talk about how to remove the password using another macro.

How to remove VBA Macro Password from Excel/Word/PowerPoint (Manual Method)

VBA macro Developers always add passwords to protect their work. If a client has reached out to you to develop a solution for them, it is obvious that you would add a password to protect it. Why? Because it is your intellectual property! If the client needs to modify the macro, they should ideally reach out to you again to do the same. You can even ensure even user-level access to your VBA macros so that the client cannot distribute it to users beyond what was agreed upon.

But what if you have forgotten the password you have set for the VBA macro that you created for your client? Recreating the macro is unrealistic in terms of budget and timeline. So what then?

How to add User-Level Protection for Macros/Add-ins

More often than not we are concerned with the safety of the macro instead of the users using the macro. So even though we set passwords for locking the codes of the macro, anyone who has the add-in is able to use the macro even if it is not intended for them. This is bad business strategy! Imagine creating a macro for Client A, which is now being used by Client B, C, D, and F, just because they have access to the add-in (or .xlam, ,dotm, or .ppam file for Excel, Word, and PowerPoint respectively). You are losing business.

But what if you can set username and passwords for individual users (or a group of users)? Only users who you have authorized would be able to use that add-in you created. Wouldn't it be great! Now let you make you aware beforehand that this method is not as secure as a Windows or GMail password, but it can do the work. Here's how you can set username and password for login into your MS Office add-in.

How to view VBA Macro Code for PowerPoint Add-ins

If you have ever created a macro in PowerPoint, you would know that you need to create the macro in a .pptm file, which is a PowerPoint Macro-Enabled Presentation, and then create the add-in (.ppam file) from it. This is done because once you create the add-in, you would not be able to view the codes from the add-in file. If you enable the add-in and press Alt+F11, you would see a blank window in the VBA code editor, as if the code doesn't exist!

But what if the add-in is the only file you have where you have lost the original .pptm file, and now you need to update the macro. What would you do then? Read on to know how to view the macro code using a .ppam file.

How to Remove Workbook or Worksheet Password from Excel

Everyday we have to remember hundreds of passwords, both in our personal and professional lives. And it's only human to forget some of them every now and then, as long as we know how to retrieve those passwords or reset them. Resetting passwords for a web service like Gmail, or Facebook is easy. But what about a software, like Excel.

Excel has multi-level protection for it's users. You can add a password to protect the Workbook, Worksheets, you can even protect the VBA code inside the Excel Workbook with a password. If you forget one of these passwords, there is not normal way (like Gmail, or Facebook) to reset those password. Here we will discuss how to remove passwords from an Excel Workbook or Worksheet.