Free Password Crackers for Windows, Word, and More

Software & Apps

Updated July 03, 2017

A password cracker program, often called a password recovery tool or a password unlocker/reset tool, is a software program used to "crack" a password, either by discovering the password outright, bypassing the encryption by removing the password, or bypassing the need for a password by changing the way the program or file works.
If you've lost your password to something like Windows or an encrypted file, and the normal means to change the password won't work, a password cracker program might be able to help.
Fully functional, completely free password crackers do exist alongside the many premium password crackers that you might find doing a quick search. The best of these free passwords crackers are included in the various password cracker categories below:
Important: Password crackers and other kinds of password recovery and finder tools are legitimate programs to help discover or reset lost passwords. You should know however that in most countries, it is only legal to use these kinds of programs to crack passwords to computers, files, and services that you own or have permission to crack.

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Windows Password Crackers

Windows Password Crackers. Wikimedia Commons

A Windows password cracker is any program that can crack a Windows logon password. If you've lost your Windows password and can't login anymore, one of these password crackers can help.
Most of these programs are Windows password reset tools, like Offline NT Password and Registry Editor, PC Login Now, and a few others.
Some password crackers for Windows are actual password recovery tools. Ophcrack is by far the most popular true Windows password recovery tool.
Free Windows Password Recovery Tools
All of the Windows password crackers available from the link above are completely free to download and use on your computer. More »

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PDF Password Crackers

Free PDF Password Remover Tools — PDF Password Crackers.

A PDF password cracker is a program that either finds or removes the PDF owner password or PDF user password, two different kinds of security possible in a PDF file.
PDF password removers are most popular. Free programs like GuaPDF and free online services like FreeMyPDF.com are popular PDF password removers.
PDFCrack and PDF Unlocker are popular free PDF password recovery tools. The first will find the actual PDF owner and user password and the other finds PDF owner passwords only.
Free PDF Password Remover Tools
All of the password crackers for PDF files in the list linked above are completely free. More »

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Word Password Crackers

Word Password Crackers. Wikimedia Commons

A Word password cracker is a piece of software that either removes or finds the Microsoft Word document open password. There are also programs that remove and recover the edit restrictions password in Word but I couldn't find any free programs that did.
Most free Word password crackers are brute force password recovery tools. Free Word and Excel Password Recovery Wizard and CrackIt! are good examples of free Word password recovery programs.
GuaWord is an example of a free Word password remover aimed at the Word document open password.
Free Word Password Recovery Tools
While there aren't many, every Word password cracker available in the list linked above is completely free. More »

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RAR Password Crackers

RAR Password Crackers.

A RAR password cracker is a software tool that can find the RAR default password, the password you're prompted for when you try to extract the contents of an encrypted RAR file.
All RAR password crackers are actually password recovery tools. I'm not aware of a RAR password cracker, free or otherwise, that can be used to remove a RAR password outright.
Download cRARk for Free
I'm working on a list of free RAR password crackers but in the meantime, cRARk is probably your best free RAR password cracking option.
cRARk works with 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows, as well as with Linux and Mac OS X. More »

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ZIP Password Crackers

A ZIP password cracker is a program tool that can discover the password used to encrypt the contents of a ZIP file.
All ZIP password crackers are actually brute force, ZIP password recovery programs. I don't know of any free ZIP password removers or unlockers.
Download ZIP Password Cracker Pro v1.4f for Free
I'm currently compiling a list of of free ZIP password crackers but so far, the freeware ZIP Password Cracker Pro is the best I've found.
ZIP Password Cracker Pro can be used on Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP, as well as with older versions of Windows. More »

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Excel Password Crackers

Excel Password Crackers.

An Excel password cracker is a software tool that either removes or finds the Microsoft Excel document open password. There are also Excel password crackers that remove and recover the protect sheet and protect workbook password in Excel.
Most Excel password crackers are password recovery tools that use the brute force method.
Download Free Word and Excel Password Recovery Wizard
While I work on a complete list of freeware Excel password recovery tools, try Free Word and Excel Password Recovery Wizard, likely the best option anyway.
I tested this program in Windows 10, so it should also work in older versions of Windows too, like Windows 8, 7, Vista, and XP. More »