OT: recovering a lost password for a PPT presentation

[unknown]

I've lost the "modify" password for a PPT presentation - can anyone suggest a tool that might recover it?

[Bob Eager]

JFGI....

[Ian Jackson]

JFGI could be the follow-up to most of the questions asked in this NG - but that would make for extremely boring and totally uninformative reading.

Any bloody fool can Google, but it takes someone with knowledge and experience to come up with a positive recommendation.

[Bob Eager]

Perhaps...but in this case it would be perfectly adequate to do so.

There are questions, and there are questions.

[Ian Jackson]

Indeed, but what the OP is asking for is ANSWERS - especially from someone who can say "I've used Xxxxxxxx, before - and it worked well".

So the real question is "Can YOU suggest a tool which can recover a PPT password?"

I have to admit that I too have occasionally suggested that somebody do a Google - but I've also given the search words to use, and a couple of examples of useful hits (ie I have actually taken the trouble to do a bit research myself).

What you seem to be overlooking is that when someone asks for information in a NG or other discussion forum, the suggestions received

- and any subsequent discussions - are often of interest to many other readers. [Please don't say "If they are that interested, they can Google themselves for the answer".]

[unknown]

Well, I had spent quite a while doing exactly that and found a few things that purport to be able to do what I need, but this seems like an area that might be rife with trojans so it seemed wise to ask the assembled masses for a recommendation based on personal experience.

[Bob Eager]

Fair enough. Then it would probably have been better to qualify the question with a request for a tried and tested solution, though.

[Bob Eager]

That's very true, and I didn't overlook it. I was taking into account that it was flagged OT to start with.

[Ian Jackson]

Well, a quick Google on 'password recovery ppt' returns a lot of promising hits. Which one you try may depend on your operating system (some seem to have such a tool 'built-in'). Alternatively, go for a freeware program (or if it's a one-off, even trialware). If it's a popular tool, there will often be comments from other users.

Most of the programs will be completely harmless, but make sure that you don't run anything directly from the website. Always download and save, then run a virus checker on it. If you need to install it on your computer, make sure it doesn't want to install 'extras', such as toolbars. Untick any boxes which say that it will install such things, and if you don't have the option, don't use it.

[Ian Jackson]

Or for someone who apparently cannot offer any help not to bother replying!

[Huge]

You obviously have no idea who Bob is, which is quite amusing. To me, anyway.

[Bob Eager]

Give it a rest - it was a reasonable suggestion. Had he said he'd already Googled without success, that would have been a different matter.

[The Medway Handyman]

Don't you mean GIFFS :-)

[John Rumm]

Decent tool with a good rep, but not free.

[Ian Jackson]

Indeed.

Prices: Home Edition - £49 Standard Edition - £99 Professional Edition - £249

I've personally never had a desperate need to unlock anything, but for anything like a one-off, I'd strive for some freeware or trialware. From all those Google returns, there must be something suitable out there (especially if it's just for a low-security file). Adding 'freeware'* to my previous Google search with 'password recovery ppt' narrows the hits down to a mere 1,490,000 results, and the fourth one down (on my screen, anyway), although $45, has a trialware option, and looks quite promising:

Provided it doesn't expect you to sell your soul in order to get to try it, it's probably worth with a go.

AAHH!! I've just scrolled down to the very end of

and I see there is a link to 'Download free trial version' - so this might be worth a go first.

[newshound]

Well, yes. But this guy is looking for something (doubtless for perfectly good reasons) which those of us sometimes concerned with maintaining security of MS files would prefer not to be too readily available. There has long been a convention that one does not answer such questions too readily: see for example Feynman's discussions on safe cracking.

[unknown]

I've tried the free trials of those two (and another) without success :-(

[larkim]

Which version of powerpoint?

I did have some success a few years ago opening various MS office documents in their OpenOffice equivalents, and using that to extract things that the password protection was preventing me from otherwise achieving.

If you can't modify it, can you copy slides from it to another presentation? Sometimes working around these sorts of things laterally gets around the problem.

Just tested that briefly on a 2010 Powerpoint document and I was able to successfully copy across all elements (had to do the content separately from the slide masters), but it worked.

Matt

[unknown]

They were done with PPT 2003 ... there are quite a few files which I password protected, but I can't remember the algorithm I used then for passwords so can't even begin to guess at the "modify" password. I've remembered the "read" password but the pages won't "slide" to a new presentation in read-only mode.

Good idea to try Open Office, but it fails with: "The loading of password encrypted ppt presentations is not supported"

[Weatherlawyer]

Did anyone suggest trying a Live Linux CD?

That just gives Windows the groping it deserves BIG time.