password controlled files

[Stephen]

Background - A colleague of mine died and his wife is
trying to recover files in Excel for his Tax etc (in
Switzerland) - she i saverage user capable - he password
protected all his files and she does not know how to
proceed.

Request - any advice on procedures, contacts or services
that would help her or a company representative in
Switzerland to open these files and get data to a non
protected version so probate can be processed.

i am deliberately not asking for detailed answers for
security reasons - if there is a simple procedure please
post back to me to be followed up outside of a chat group.

 

[John Wilson]

Stephen,

There are a number of web sites offering programs to crack
passwords or unprotect the files for you (for a fee, of course).
Workbook Open protection is the hardest to crack but it
can be done. Most crack programs use brute force to open
the files so it can take days to actually do it.
Anyway, one such site is here:
http://www.lostpassword.com
A quick search of the Google archives will turn up many others.

John