Why Excel Unable To Save Or Open Password Protected xlsx Files

Microsoft Excel (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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Excel files (basically .xlsx) have very strong security features. It will not allow saving, opening or making changes, if user doesn’t have sufficient permissions. In case users don’t have owner permission and trying to open password-protected excel file then they will get an error message "Excel cannot open this file. The encryption type used is not available, contact the author of the files. More encryption types are available using the High Encryption Pack". When unauthorized users are trying to save password-protected excel file then they might receive follow error "Excel is unable to encrypt your file. Please contact your system administrator to resolve this problem. Do you wish to remove encryption and try again?". This problem will exist irrespective to location of excel file. Even in safe mode and no one can access this file.

Reason for These Error Messages: Unauthorized access of a password-protected excel file is the main cause of these error messages. If any user without having proper permission try to access strongly protected excel file, MS excel will not allow access for that user because of security reasons.

Solution: Provide owner permission for the user which is unable to access password-protected excel file (.xlsx) is the simple solution of above error message. Follow the steps written below to provide owner permission.

1. Locate the file which has this issue.
2. Right click on it and select Properties.
3. Now click on Owner tab. In owner tab you can find current owner of that file. Now click on Edit and add that user’s username.
4. You can add group of users by clicking on other user or groups in Owner tab. Now add all username of all users to which you want to provide access. If you type "Administrators" you will give ownership to all the users that are administrators on your computer.
5. Now click on Check Names.
6. Press OK if everything is perfectly added.

Now try to open that file which is giving error message. I am sure that your problem has been resolved and you are able to open, modify and save that file.