How to unlock a password-protected ZIP
Updated 3 June 2026
Unlike a protected Word or Excel file — where the lock is just a flag — a password-protected ZIP is genuinely encrypted. The files inside are scrambled, so there’s nothing to “strip”: you need the password to read them.
If you have the password
You can remove it and save a clean, unencrypted copy:
- Open the ZIP unlocker.
- Drop your
.zipin and enter the password — it’s decrypted in your browser, never uploaded. - Download the unlocked ZIP. Your files and folder structure are preserved exactly.
This works for both legacy ZipCrypto and modern WinZip AES encryption.
If you’ve forgotten the password
The password can’t simply be removed — it has to be recovered by computation. How feasible that is depends on the password:
- Short or common, human-chosen passwords are very often recovered.
- Long, random passwords on AES archives may not be.
Request recovery and we’ll assess your file and quote a fixed price first — you only pay if we succeed.
RAR and 7-Zip
Our browser tool handles ZIP only. RAR and 7-Zip archives use different formats; if you’ve lost the password to one, request recovery and we’ll take a look.
Legal note
Only unlock archives you own or are authorised to open.