Crack need to Open MS Word Document

M

Mike

Hi, I need to open a MS Word document that I password protyected last year
and I don't remember the password I used.

Thanks,

Mie
 
B

Beth Melton

It depends on how you protected it. If you used Tools/Protect Document
then you're in luck. Create a new document and use Insert/File to
insert the contents of the protected document.

Now if you protected it with a password to open then that's another
story. There are some password cracking utilities out there but the
success rate depends on what you used for the password and those that
actually work aren't free.

I created a password that contained numbers, symbols and alpha
characters both upper case and lower case, no words which can be found
in the dictionary, and used 9 characters.

I tested some popular password cracking software which claims they can
crack a password of any length provided it is a dictionary word, and
up to 9 characters using brute force. I let the utility run on a PC I
wasn't using for 123 hours, 49 minutes, and 5 seconds. It never
cracked the password - I finally gave up!

Also note that the utility uses so many resources it's next to
impossible to run additional software while it is running.

Something else to keep in mind, if you purchase such a utility you are
giving your credit card number to a known crack. <g>

Please post all follow-up questions to the newsgroup. Requests for
assistance by email can not be acknowledged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP

Office 2007 Preview Site:
http://www.microsoft.com/office/preview/default.mspx
Office 2007 Community Articles/Tutorials:
http://www.microsoft.com/office/preview/community/article_archive.mspx

TechTrax eZine: http://mousetrax.com/techtrax/
MVP FAQ site: http://mvps.org/
 
M

Mike

The document is password protected. I typically use letters, numbers and
punctuation.
I used to purchase a suite of password crakcers from a company in Utah that
I used for
MS Office applications at work but due to s change in poilicy I can no
longer purchase them.
 
J

James Silverton

Hello, Beth!
You wrote on Sun, 3 Sep 2006 12:33:53 -0500:

BM> Now if you protected it with a password to open then that's
BM> another story. There are some password cracking utilities
BM> out there but the success rate depends on what you used for
BM> the password and those that actually work aren't free.

BM> I created a password that contained numbers, symbols and
BM> alpha characters both upper case and lower case, no words
BM> which can be found in the dictionary, and used 9
BM> characters.

BM> I tested some popular password cracking software which
BM> claims they can crack a password of any length provided it
BM> is a dictionary word, and up to 9 characters using brute
BM> force. I let the utility run on a PC I wasn't using for 123
BM> hours, 49 minutes, and 5 seconds. It never cracked the
BM> password - I finally gave up!

BM> Also note that the utility uses so many resources it's next
BM> to impossible to run additional software while it is
BM> running.

BM> Something else to keep in mind, if you purchase such a
BM> utility you are giving your credit card number to a known
BM> crack. <g>

BM> Please post all follow-up questions to the newsgroup.
BM> Requests for assistance by email can not be acknowledged.

I wonder what the results are trying to crack one of my favorite
types of password which is an adjective and a noun, highly
unlikely ever to be be used together, without any divider and 12
characters long? The weirdness makes these easier to remember
but I do have a hint written down. Let me admit that this type
of password is not my own idea!

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.not
 
B

Beth Melton

James Silverton said:
Hello, Beth!
You wrote on Sun, 3 Sep 2006 12:33:53 -0500:
Click to expand...
BM> I created a password that contained numbers, symbols and
BM> alpha characters both upper case and lower case, no words
BM> which can be found in the dictionary, and used 9
BM> characters.

BM> I tested some popular password cracking software which
BM> claims they can crack a password of any length provided it
BM> is a dictionary word, and up to 9 characters using brute
BM> force. I let the utility run on a PC I wasn't using for 123
BM> hours, 49 minutes, and 5 seconds. It never cracked the
BM> password - I finally gave up!

BM> Also note that the utility uses so many resources it's next
BM> to impossible to run additional software while it is
BM> running.

BM> Something else to keep in mind, if you purchase such a
BM> utility you are giving your credit card number to a known
BM> crack. <g>

BM> Please post all follow-up questions to the newsgroup.
BM> Requests for assistance by email can not be acknowledged.

I wonder what the results are trying to crack one of my favorite
types of password which is an adjective and a noun, highly unlikely
ever to be be used together, without any divider and 12 characters
long? The weirdness makes these easier to remember but I do have a
hint written down. Let me admit that this type of password is not my
own idea!
Click to expand...

Last I checked the best one could only crack passwords using brute
force (tests each character) up to 9 characters. Now, since yours
contains words in the dictionary I'm not sure if it would need to use
brute force or not.

I've combined a couple of keyboard patterns for a password before. It
was easy to remember since my fingers just followed a pattern. The
problem with that type of password is once when I was on the road
someone needed access to the file I was unable to tell them the
password because my hands weren't on the keyboard. lol

Please post all follow-up questions to the newsgroup. Requests for
assistance by email can not be acknowledged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP

Office 2007 Preview Site:
http://www.microsoft.com/office/preview/default.mspx
Office 2007 Community Articles/Tutorials:
http://www.microsoft.com/office/preview/community/article_archive.mspx

TechTrax eZine: http://mousetrax.com/techtrax/
MVP FAQ site: http://mvps.org/
 
P

ProfGene

Mike said:
Hi, I need to open a MS Word document that I password protyected last year
and I don't remember the password I used.

Thanks,

Mie
Click to expand...
If it isn't too big a document you can view it by opening notepad and
choosing all files instead of text. Then click on the document and you
should be able to see it with some other characters in it such as
slashes but the text should be readable enough to copy it.
 
B

Beth Melton

If it isn't too big a document you can view it by opening notepad
and choosing all files instead of text. Then click on the document
and you should be able to see it with some other characters in it
such as slashes but the text should be readable enough to copy it.
Click to expand...

Password protecting also encrypts the file so while you can open it
using the Notepad, other than file properties you can read outside of
the application, it will be nothing but gobbledly-gook.

--
Please post all follow-up questions to the newsgroup. Requests for
assistance by email can not be acknowledged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP

Office 2007 Preview Site:
http://www.microsoft.com/office/preview/default.mspx
Office 2007 Community Articles/Tutorials:
http://www.microsoft.com/office/preview/community/article_archive.mspx

TechTrax eZine: http://mousetrax.com/techtrax/
MVP FAQ site: http://mvps.org/
 
M

Mike

If it isn't too big a document you can view it by opening notepad and
choosing all files instead of text. Then click on the document and you
should be able to see it with some other characters in it such as slashes
but the text should be readable enough to copy it.
Click to expand...

Good suggestion, but when I opened it in Notepad it only showed ansi
characters
but no readable text.
 
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