Finding my password

A good question. I also have a few files I have forgotten the password. Just using this as a bookmark.

Freeware, and at least if downloaded from the developer's site, free of bundled yuckware, PicoZip Recovery Toll might help - it often succeeds, it sometimes doesn't. As always, read and understand the app's documentation before using.

I know of a couple commercial - and pretty pricey - password-cracking apps that work real well on all sortsa passwords for all sortsa apps, provided the password you're after wasn't crafted by someone who actually knows how and takes effort to create a reasonably secure password.

Since you think what you are typing is correct, have you ensured that you have type the password in the correct case sensitive text?

Hey Timber. It looks like that utility only works for zip files. Mine are Word and Wordperfect.

ElcomSoft password recovery software, commercial only but available in both Business/Enterprise and less expensive Home User versions - essentially equally capable, is well regarded and I've found it somewhat usefull across a variety of apps, Microsoft and otherwise, though again, a really well-crafted password is gonna be tough or impossible to crack with general-market software. Bear in mind that password protection's purpose is to prevent anyone without the proper password from accessing the protected file or function. The reason any freeware or commercially available password cracking app works is that most folks don't use truly strong passwords; the weaker the password, the easier, and quicker, it will be to crack.

4xAmP!3 - a simple, 7-character string which easily can be remembered as code for "for example", is an example of a simple but very difficult to crack password, mixing upper and lower case letters with numeric and special (or, typically, punctuation) characters. I just ran a test setting it as a file encryption password then using one freeware and two commercial products; only one commercial product got it, and that took a good while on a pretty fast machine with plenty of fast memory, with nothing else running. A simple password none of 'em got was %gN07!8y$t - 10 characters, tougher to remember, certainly, but apparently harder to crack.

Hi Timber, it worked like a dream. Thanks partner

timberlandko thanks for this info .... handy indeed

bm

Glad you got an answer that worked, Navigator.

Just dropping in to say hello. I noticed you hadn't been around much.

Now, come, roger and confess: you were only looking for someone's favourite pet's name and father's birthdate!