First, remember that passwords are case sensitive. So if you originally entered your password as Xyzzy, typing xyzzy won't work. If you know you're entering the password correctly, then it's time to start looking for a password recovery utility. Several utilities exist, and none of them are free. Do an Internet search for "Excel password recovery," and you'll find several products that will come to the rescue. By the way, the fact that these products exist might raise some alarms for the security-minded. Bottom line? Excel password protection isn't as secure as you might expect.