is a popular freeware hex editor often used to bypass specific types of Excel password protection , particularly for VBA projects and older .xls file formats . While it cannot "recover" an encrypted file password through brute force, it can modify the binary data of an Excel file to disable or reset protection. Understanding XVI32 for Excel

If the file requires a password just to open it, XVI32 cannot help you; the file data is encrypted and will appear as gibberish in the hex editor.

: Only attempt xvi32 on backup copies of old .xls files for non-critical protection (e.g., accidental sheet locking). For security or business-critical files, use legitimate password recovery software or reset the password via Microsoft account recovery methods.