Unprotect Excel Sheets & Flatten Workbooks
Two kinds of protection — do not confuse them
- Sheet/cell protection: blocks editing while the file stays readable.
- File encryption: the file will not open at all without the password.
Removing sheet protection
- Open the file normally, then Review > Unprotect Sheet.
- If it asks for a simple password it is usually a legacy restriction — recovery utilities handle those, or try the common developer default.
Removing file encryption
- Open the file with its password.
- File > Info > Protect Workbook > Encrypt with Password > clear the password and save.
What "flatten sheet" means
Flattening converts formulas to static values (Ctrl+A, copy, Paste Special > Values) and freezes formatting — so results cannot change when others open the file.
After unlocking
Share your sheet as read-only via Excel to PDF — recipients cannot touch your formulas at all — and lock the PDF if it is confidential.