How to remove the password of a VBA project 如何移除VBA工程密码

Years ago I found an excellent article about how to remove the password of a VBA project, which taught me built an Excel add-in. After the add-in run, you can open the password protected Excel file in it, and break all the passwords that the Excel file has, worksheet password, workbook password, VBA project password, and whatever, by just one click on the menu.

The other day a friend asked me if I can help him to remove a VBA project password, I began to search on the web immediately, trying to find the excellent article, and copy the codes which can do everything I need. But unfortunately, that article just disappeared from the web!

Today I found a way to break the VBA project password manually, boring though, but the most important thing is that it did work!

The origin url  is http://www.zorvek.com/excel/removing-an-excel-workbook-vba-password.htm.

The article is very short, which displays as below:

Removing an Excel Workbook VBA Password

A VBA project password can be removed with a hex editor. Close the workbook and open the workbook file in the hex editor. Find the string "DPB" and change it to "DPx". Save the file. Open the workbook and click OK until the workbook is open (one or more dialogs are displayed describing various problems with the VBA project). Press ALT+F11, choose the menu command Tools->VBAProject Properties, navigate to the Protection tab, and change the password but do not remove it (note the new password). Save, close, and re-open the workbook. Press ALT+F11 and enter the new password. Choose Tools->VBAProject Properties, navigate to the Protection tab, and remove the password. Save the workbook.

Let's do this step by step:

1> Open a hex editor. You can download one from http://www.hhdsoftware.com/free-hex-editor in case you don't have a hex editor;

2> Open the workbook you want to break its VBA password in that editor;

3> Find the string "DPB" and replace it to "DPx"; 

4> Save the file; 

5> Open the workbook and click OK until the workbook is open (one or more dialogs are displayed describing various problems with the VBA project);

6> Press ALT+F11, enter the VBA Editor;

7> Choose the menu command Tools -> VBAProject Properties, navigate to the Protection tab, and change the password but do not remove it (note the new password);

8> Save and close the workbook;

9> Re-open it, press ALT+F11, enter the new password in VBA Editor;

10> You can see the VBA Project source code now. Choose Tools -> VBAProject Properties, navigate to the Protection tab, and remove the password;

11> Save the workbook. Now you succeeded in removing the password!