Excel document is encrypted and cannot be opened.

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Level 4

2,239 points

Excel document is encrypted and cannot be opened.

Just tried Numbers for the first time. Launched it. Tried to open my main spreadsheet that keeps all my financial information (I'm self employed) and I get the message Numbers cannot open it because it's encrypted.

Steve Jobs said Numbers could open nearly all Excel documents. Does that mean that nearly all excel documents are not password protected?

I was really looking forward to using Numbers. Fallen at the first fence.

PowerMac G5 Dual 2.3Ghz / MacBook 2.0GHz duo, Mac OS X (10.4.10), 4.5GB RAM, GeForce 6800 Ultra / 1GB RAM

Posted on Aug 8, 2007 4:44 PM

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Answer 1

Jabert

Level 1

0 points

Aug 8, 2007 5:03 PM in response to bilbo_baggins

Well, I think each company has different encrypt methods. NeoOffice can't open encrypted excel files either.

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Answer 2

Aug 10, 2007 10:26 AM in response to bilbo_baggins

I've seen the behavior too. It happened for me when I tried to open an Excel spreadsheet that was locked for editing. When opened in Excel, I am prompted for a password, or granted the option to view a read-only copy of the document. In Numbers, all I get is the error message.

Encrypted? I doubt it.

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Answer 3

DGHPTS

Level 1

1 points

Aug 18, 2007 5:49 PM in response to PeteyPolo

I'm hitting an issue with a spreadsheet from one of my suppliers. It is password protected for editing, but XL opens it without any questions as a read only.
Numbers just stops period, tells me the sheet is encrypted and won't even offer to open it as a read only.
This is the only issue stopping me from dumping Microsoft completely.
Any ideas???

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Answer 4

bilbo_baggins Author

Level 4

2,239 points

Aug 19, 2007 7:31 AM in response to DGHPTS

For my own password protected Excel documents, if I remove the password protection and save it in Excel without then it will open in Numbers.

If it's someone elses document and they don't want you to have read/write access then I think there is currently no way of using it with Numbers.

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Answer 5

jaxjason

Level 5

5,035 points

Aug 19, 2007 7:50 AM in response to bilbo_baggins

for about $40US, you can buy a program that will give you the password on any excel file. just fyi, you should never do this to someone elses files of course, only your own that you have forgotten the password on.

Jason

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Answer 6

DGHPTS

Level 1

1 points

Aug 19, 2007 3:46 PM in response to bilbo_baggins

They don't want us (the dealers) to edit the spreadsheet, but they do want us to read it. It's their pricelist, they wouldn't sell a lot of equipment if we couldn't see how much it costs! The point is that Numbers won't even open a spreadsheet that is edit protected, not read protected. This is a major issue, it should at the very least tell me I can open or import the sheet as a read only.

Excel will always open the spreadsheet, it just can't make changes to it.
For right now, when I need to get information from the pricelist in Excel, I have to copy and paste the info from the edit protected page to another blank sheet. This is a royal PITA because the Excel pricelist has 50 plus pages. I have been officially told to do that by my manufacturer. But they won't give anyone the password to unprotect the edit function of the sheet. Go figure.

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Answer 7

PaulR1

Level 1

0 points

Aug 20, 2007 7:20 AM in response to bilbo_baggins

Just to be clear... If an encrypted Excel document is sent and a password is not provided by the author for read/write access then it cannot be opened with either Excel or Numbers?

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Answer 8

bilbo_baggins Author

Level 4

2,239 points

Aug 21, 2007 3:42 PM in response to PaulR1

If it's password protected for read and write - then neither can open it without the password (and numbers can't open it at all, even with the password).

If it's password protected to make it read only, then excel can open it, but numbers can't.

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