Working with Password Protected Excel Sheets in Python on Linux

Question

The problem is pretty simple. Every week I receive a bunch of password protected excel files. I have to parse through them and write certain parts to a new file using Python. I am given the password for the files.

This was simple to handle when this was being done on Windows and I could just import win32com and use client.Dispatch. But we are now moving all our code to linux so no more win32com for me.

Is there a way to open and read data from a password protected excel sheet in python on linux?

I have been searching for simple way to open a password protected excel file but no luck. I also tried finding a way to just remove the password protection so I can use xlrd like I would on a file that is not password protected but no luck going that route either.

Any help would be most appreciated.

Farrish

This looks like it could work for you #19451337 – Courland

@perfectvid2012: No it doesn't. The whole point is to find a solution that does NOT use win32com (or anything else Windows-specific). – Bagwell

Hmm? Now I am confused. – Farrish

I have no options to undelete anything. All I see is the one answer that is marked as the answer. – Farrish

Answer 1

with libreoffice and unoconv

unoconv --password='p4ssw0rd' -f csv  protectedFile.xls

and then parse the csv file. Or export to another xls if you need the formatting or want to torture yourself

N.B. Edited after accepted. (--password is the correct switch, not -p, as noted by @enharmonic)

I've recently had an easier time using xlsxunpass

java -jar ./xlsxunpass.jar protected.xlsx unprotected.xlsx 'p4ssw0rd'

Baldric

What if my .xlsx have multiple sheets – Orestes

try writing to another format supporting sheets. e.g. unoconv -p p4ssw0rd -f xlsx protectedFile.xls – Baldric

doesn't run (with error)? or is still password protected? if you already have xlsx, try going to xls unoconv -p p4ssw0rd -f xls protectedFile.xlsx or ods unoconv -p p4ssw0rd -f ods protectedFile.xlsx – Baldric

I'm getting this error 'Error: Unable to connect or start own listener. Aborting.' . Any idea why? – Thyrse

@Thyrse I don't think the -p option is for passwords; docs say it is for specifying a port. "-p, --port Port to listen on (as listener) or to connect to (as client). Default port is '2002'." linux.die.net/man/1/unoconv – Crore

@Crore i updated the answer. I wonder if this was a change in the command switches or if the answer never actually worked – Baldric

@Baldric I can unlock the protected file using xlsxunpass package but not unoconv. I'm still getting the same error using unoconv. – Thyrse

xlsxunpass is the only thing that has worked for me so far; thanks for your work on it, @Will! – Crore