Ronnie Barnes
Last updated: Sep 12, 2024 12:00 am
Word
Microsoft Word is by far the most popular Word processing software in the business. One of the main reasons it is so popular is because it comes with a lot of features aimed at making the whole process of document management easier. One such feature is the security feature that allows users to either lock the document completely or make it read-only, which means you might be able to access the file, but you can't make any changes to it.
While this security feature might be a good thing, especially for people who deal with sensitive documents, it is also likely to become a hindrance. In a situation where you don't have the password to the document or you set a password and then forget or lose it, you may be completely locked out of your document. In this case, you may need to make use of Word password recovery tools that can be very effective in helping you recover Word passwords, allowing you to open and edit the document.
In this article, we take a look at the top 5 Word password recovery tools to help you gain access to a locked Word document.
1. Passper for Word
Passper for Word is one of the most powerful Word password recovery tools. Its main strength is that it is easy to use and very effective. It utilizes three attack modes; dictionary attack mode, combination attack, mask attack mode and the brute force attack mode to help you recover a password regardless of how complex the password is and the information you have on the password. Passper for Word also comes with an easy to use interface that can make the whole recovery process easy even if you have never used this program before.
Pros:
It offers users a lot of flexibility when recovering the password, making the process faster and easier without messing any of the data on the document.
It is also very easy to use. You can recover your password for locked Word file in just 3 simple steps.
Besides recovering the opening passwords, it can also be very effective in helping you remove all kinds of restrictions on Word documents, so that you can edit and copy the content saved in the Word file.
It supports all versions of the Word Document including the newest Word 2021.
It is also one of the fastest password recovery tools, helping you recover a password in a very short time.
The recovery status can be saved so that you can resume the recovery process at the next time.
Cons:
Its free trial version is limited in functionality.
2. GuaWord
GuaWord, also known as Guaranteed Word Decrypter, is a free tool that you can use to recover Word document passwords. It works by removing the password from the document rather than actually recovering a password. It is also safe to use for your Word document since it never affects the data on the document. But the main disadvantage with this program is that it may take up to 10 days for the document be unlocked. It is also unlikely to work with newer versions of Microsoft Word.
Pros:
It will recover the password regardless of complexity and length.
Its interface is very minimal, making it much easier to use than some of the other programs like it.
It is free to use.
Cons:
It takes a long time to unlock the Word document, up to 10 days.
It is only useful for older Word formats.
3. Free Word and Excel Password Recovery Wizard
As the name suggests, the Free Word and Excel Password Recovery Wizard is a password recovery tool for Excel and Word documents that is completely free to use. It uses two attack modes to find the password; the dictionary attack mode and the brutal force attack mode which is handy when you know nothing about the password. While this program only supports older versions of Word, it is still an effective tool to choose since it can be very effective. If the password is relatively simple, the program can recover it in a few minutes.
Pros:
It is completely free to use.
Like most other premium tools, it utilizes very effective technology to recover a password without affecting the data on the document.
It has a clean interface that makes it very easy to use.
Cons:
It is only useful for older versions of Word. If you need to recover a password from a newer version, you may need to purchase the premium version.
4. SmartKey Office Password Recovery
SmartKey Office Password Recovery offers a robust premium option for word document password recovery. It is also a good tool if you need to remove any editing restrictions placed on a Word document. Its crisp clean design makes it the ideal tool for beginners since it is very easy to locate all the necessary buttons to execute a command. It also has the necessary technology to make the whole recovery process effective and safe for the data on the document.
Pros:
It is compatible with all versions of Microsoft Word.
It uses attack modes designed to make the whole process easy and effective.
You can recover the password using a simple 2-step process.
Cons:
While there is a free trial version, most of the advanced features can only be accessed in the full version.
5. Recuva
Recuva is perhaps the most popular document recovery tools only for having been around for a very long time. In this time, most users have labeled the program highly effective in the recovery of passwords for Word documents and other MS Office apps. It is however unclear how the program works or the technology it utilizes to recover the password. It continues to remain up to date and is compatible with all versions of Microsoft Word and the Windows OS.
Pros:
It is very effective in recovering passwords.
The recovery process is also very fast.
Recuva also has a simple interface that makes the whole process very easy.
Cons:
It has a free version although you may have to purchase the premium version for more advanced functionality.
6. Comparison
To help you better choose the best Word password recovery tools from the 5 software introduced above, we also make a fair comparison below.
| Passper for Word | GuaWord | Word and Excel Password Recovery Wizard | SmartKey Office Password Recovery | Recuva | |
| Remove Restrictions | 
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| Recover Opening Password |
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| Remove Restrictions | 95% | 85% | 90% | 80% | 83% |
| Removal Rate | 100% | / | / | 100% | / |
The above tools will all work if you are looking for a program that will recover a Word password. But if you are looking for a solution that is easy to use, reliable and effective every time you use it, you might need to consider Passper for Word. Passper for Word will always work regardless of the type of encryption on the document and the length of the password since it makes use of three different types of attack modes to help you unlock the Word document.
