Help Overview:

A. Installing The Add-in
B. License Activation
C. Unloading The Add-in
D. Uninstalling The Add-in
E. Regaining Access To VBA Projects
F. Videos

A. Installing The Add-in

Microsoft Office Add-in Folder Locations

Windows XP 

C:\Documents and Settings\[insert username]\Application Data\Microsoft\AddIns

Windows Vista / Windows 7 / Windows 8 

C:\Users\[insert username]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\AddIns

Steps:

1. Copy your add-in file inside the Microsoft Office® add-in storage folder
2. Go to File inside your Excel Program
3. Select Excel Options
4. Select Add-ins from the left-hand pane
5. Make sure Excel Add-ins is chosen in the Manage drop-down menu and click Go…
6. Inside the Add-ins Dialog Box click the Browse… button
7. The Explorer Window should default to the Microsoft add-in folder location
8. Select the Password Recovery.xlam file and click OK
9. Ensure the Password Recovery name is checked in the dialogs listbox & click OK
10. You should see a Password Recovery tab added to your Excel Ribbon

B. License Activation

In order to use the Password Recovery add-in, you will need to activate it with your unique license code.  This code will be given to you immediately after your purchase and will also be emailed to you. Activation will only need to be done once per computer.  The steps to activate your add-in are as follows:

1. Click the License button in the Password Recovery Ribbon tab
2. Copy your license code from the purchase email we send you
3. Paste your license code in the form
4. Click Activate Software

C. Unloading The Add-in

By clicking the Unload Add-in button you are essentially closing the add-in for the current instance of Microsoft Excel.  

Oops, I Accidentally Unloaded The Add-in

If you click the Unload Addin button by accident, you can either restart your application or you can simply reload the add-in by taking the following steps

1. Launch the Add-ins dialog box (see install instructions to learn how to navigate to this dialog box)
2. Uncheck the Password Recovery add-in and click OK
3. Re-launch the Add-ins dialog box
4. Check the Password Recovery add-in and click OK
5. You should no see the add-in tab reappear in your Excel Ribbon

D. Uninstalling The Add-in

To uninstall this add-in properly you will first need to navigate to the Add-Ins dialog box and remove the checkmark next to Password Recovery.  Next you will want to navigate to the folder where the add-in file was saved to on your computer and delete the add-in file (alternatively you can move the add-in file to a different location on your computer if you want to keep the file).

E. Regaining Access To VBA Projects

Before you start, you will need to make one small tweak to your Excel settings.  In order to unlock a VBA project, you will need to let the Password Recovery add-in have access to the Visual Basic Editor.  To do this you will need to check the box in the Excel Options that says “Trust Access to the VBA Project Object Model”.  Below are the steps you need to take to activate this setting.

After you click the Unlock All VBA Projects button in the Password Recovery add-in, follow the following steps. MAKE SURE you do not close the userform until you complete steps 1-4 shown below. This means the userform will still need to be showing as you navigate to the Visual Basic Editor (Alt+ F11)

You can then proceed to re-protect your project with a new password that you’ll remember or leave the VBA project unlocked.  If you leave the Project Properties as-is (you don’t do step #4), the VBA project will return to its original protected state after your Excel program is closed.

NOTE: The Password Recovery add-in source code is protected by a third-party application (software outside of Excel) and therefore is not viewable inside the Visual Basic Editor. If your try to unlock it with this add-in you will get a messagebox stating that the project is unviewable.

F. Videos

The Unload Add-in Button

Unlocking Your VBA Projects

Chris Newman

Chris is a finance professional and Excel MVP recognized by Microsoft since 2016. With his expertise, he founded TheSpreadsheetGuru blog to help fellow Excel users, where he shares his vast creative solutions & expertise. In addition, he has developed over 7 widely-used Excel Add-ins that have been embraced by individuals and companies worldwide.