Many people encounter the "view-only, cannot edit" restriction when working with Excel spreadsheets: after opening xlsx or xls files, they can only view them in read-only mode and cannot directly edit or save changes, which is especially troublesome during collaboration, template distribution, or organizing historical files. This article introduces a more efficient office software operation method, teaching you how to batch remove Excel read-only restrictions and centrally delete file read-only passwords or related password protection settings. Follow the steps in the article, in HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , sequentially select "Excel Remove Password Protection", import files, and fill in the corresponding password to batch process multiple spreadsheets, reducing the repetitive work of opening files one by one and improving daily office efficiency.
In daily office work, it's very common for Excel spreadsheets to be set to "read-only." For example, quotation sheets, inventory lists, and registration forms sent by colleagues can only be viewed, not modified after opening; or a batch of historical xlsx, xls files are all protected by read-only passwords, making manual handling time-consuming each time. If you are currently encountering issues like Excel can only view, cannot modify, Excel read-only cannot be changed, or Batch remove Excel read-only restriction, this article is prepared for you.
This article will combine the actual interface of HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to demonstrate how to use office software to batch delete related password protection settings in Excel files, restoring originally read-only viewable files to an editable state. For users who need to process multiple xlsx, xls spreadsheets at once, this batch method saves more time than opening Excel one by one and adjusting manually.
Applicable Scenarios
If you encounter the following situations, the methods in this article are quite suitable:
- A batch of Excel files prompts for a password upon opening, and can only be opened as "read-only" if no password is entered;
- You already know the file's corresponding password, but the number of files is large, and you want to batch remove the read-only restriction;
- Template spreadsheets, statistical tables, and business ledgers distributed internally by the company need to uniformly remove read-only protection;
- You need to centrally process Excel files like xlsx, xls to avoid repetitive work.
It is important to note that what is discussed here is deleting the protection corresponding to a known password, not cracking an unknown password. The software interface in the screenshot also clearly prompts: this is not password cracking; the software does not have a password cracking function.
Effect Preview: Before and After Processing
Before Processing: When opening the Excel file, the system pops up a password window, prompting "Please enter password for write access, or open as read-only." If you click "Read Only," the file can be viewed but cannot be modified and saved normally. This is exactly what many users mean by "Excel can only view, cannot modify."
After Processing: After batch deleting the corresponding password protection using the office software, when these Excel files are opened again, they are no longer affected by the original read-only restriction. The files can enter normal editing mode, suitable for continued input, modification, and saving.
Operation Steps
Step 1: Enter the Excel Remove Password Protection Feature
After opening HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , enter the Excel Tools category on the left. In the feature list, you can see the item "3. Excel Remove Password Protection". The interface description states "Batch remove open passwords and read-only passwords from Excel files."
The purpose of this step is to enter the batch feature page specifically for handling Excel password protection. For users wanting to batch cancel Excel read-only restrictions, directly entering this entry point is sufficient, without needing to manually operate in Excel software file by file.
Expected Result: Successfully entered the "Excel Remove Password Protection" feature page.
Step 2: Add the Excel Files to be Processed
After entering the feature page, you can see the "Add Files" and "Import files from folder" buttons at the top of the page. You can choose the import method based on your file count:
- If there are not many files, click "Add Files" and manually select the xlsx, xls files to be processed;
- If the files are concentrated in the same directory, click "Import files from folder," which is more suitable for batch processing.
After importing, the list will display information such as file name, path, extension, creation time, and modification time, making it easy for you to verify the correctness of the import.
The purpose of this step is to add all Excel files that need the read-only restriction cancelled into the task list at once, avoiding repeated operations later.
Expected Result: All pending files appear in the list, and the record count summary is visible.
Step 3: Enter Processing Options and Fill in Corresponding Password Information
After clicking "Next" at the bottom of the page, you enter the "Set Processing Options" page. Here you can see several password-related areas, including:
- File Open Password
- File Content Read-only Password
- Workbook Restriction Password
- Worksheet Restriction Password
From the screenshot, you can see the software specifically marks "File Content Read-only Password" and notes "This information is not required". This means for the scenario discussed in this article—files that can be opened for read-only viewing but cannot be modified—the software has already made corresponding handling for this type of read-only password, and users typically do not need to fill in additional content for this item.
If your files themselves also have other known password protections, such as open passwords, workbook restriction passwords, or worksheet restriction passwords, you need to enter the correct passwords in the corresponding areas for the software to batch delete the respective protections.
The purpose of this step is to tell the software which types of password protection to remove and provide the necessary known password information.
Expected Result: Relevant password items are filled in, especially confirming that the "File Content Read-only Password" item requires no additional information.
Step 4: Proceed to Next Step and Complete Batch Processing
After confirming the processing options are correct, continue clicking "Next," follow the page flow to set the save location, and start processing. Although the screenshots mainly show up to the password setting page, the top step bar clearly indicates the subsequent flow sequence is "Set Save Location" and then "Start Processing."
The purpose of this step is for the software to uniformly execute the password protection removal operation on the imported Excel files, thereby batch canceling the read-only restriction.
Expected Result: After processing, the output new files or processed files can be opened and edited normally, no longer stuck in a state where they can only be viewed but not modified.
FAQ and Important Notes
1. Is this cracking an Excel password?
No. The software interface clearly prompts: This is not password cracking; the software does not have a password cracking function. If you don't know the password, you cannot directly remove the protected content through this process.
2. Are Excel read-only passwords and open passwords the same thing?
Not exactly. In the scenario of this article, what many users perceive is "the file can be opened, but only for read-only viewing, cannot be modified"; the software's processing page separates different types of password protection into file open passwords, file content read-only passwords, workbook restriction passwords, and worksheet restriction passwords for individual handling.
3. Why use office software for batch processing instead of manually changing them one by one?
Because when there are many Excel files, opening them one by one, entering passwords, saving as new copies, or modifying settings is very time-consuming. The core value of office software like HeSoft Doc Batch Tool is batch file processing, reducing repetitive work, and improving efficiency, which is especially suitable for roles like administration, HR, finance, and operations that frequently handle spreadsheets.
4. Which Excel formats are supported?
Judging from the file list in the screenshot, the sample file is xlsx. Common xlsx and xls formats encountered in actual office work are both Excel files. When importing, it is recommended to check the extension first and confirm the file is not occupied by other programs.
5. What preparations are needed before processing?
It is recommended to organize the pending files in advance, place them uniformly in one folder; also confirm you have legal processing permissions for these files and prepare the known passwords in advance to avoid processing interruptions.
Summary
If you are troubled by issues like "Excel can only view, cannot modify," "opens as read-only by default," or "a batch of spreadsheets needs restrictions removed one by one," using HeSoft Doc Batch Tool is much more efficient than manual handling. Through the "Excel Remove Password Protection" feature, you can centrally import multiple xlsx, xls files, fill in known password information according to the page prompts, and batch delete the relevant protection settings.
For daily office work, this batch processing method can significantly reduce the time cost of repeated clicks and file openings. It is recommended to first organize the Excel files to be processed into the same folder, and then follow the steps in this article to perform the actual operation once. Usually, you can more intuitively experience the efficiency improvement brought by office software in batch file processing.