How do I open a zip file with password protected Word files inside?

[EyeHeart]

How can I open a zipped file that has password protected Word files inside? The zip file itself is not password protected. However, having forgotten the old passwords associated with the documents, I'm unable to unzip the password protected files that're located inside the zip... the Word files themselves won't "unzip," because of the password. I am able to get into my passworded files that are not located inside of the zip, but can't get to the files inside the zip.

Any suggestions/solutions?

[lars77]

  EyeHeart said:

the Word files themselves won't "unzip," because of the password

That means the .zip file itself has password protection. When a .zip file has password protection you can still open/browse the contents without a password, the password is only needed when attempting to unzip any of the files inside.

Can't really give you any suggestions offhand, .zip file passwords are pretty hard to crack unless it's an easy password that you can guess via a dictionary attack.

[EyeHeart]

The Word files inside of the zip that are not password protected unzip just fine. It's the Word files that are passworded that won't unzip.

In the unzip wizard, it does ask "if there are any files inside the zip that require a password, enter them now." I don't remember the passwords to the ones within the zip, therefore the unzip wizard won't unzip the file. If I can get the unzip wizard to at least unzip the file, then I have a way to recover my password. The recovery software won't acknowledge Word files within a zip.

[+Xinok Subscriber²]

"if there are any files inside the zip that require a password, enter them now."

I'm pretty sure it's talking about the ZIP file itself and not the Word documents inside.

Assuming you may be correct though, try using a different program to extract the ZIP archive.

http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/WinRAR/930118351/1

[+BudMan MVC]

yeah Im curious what zip software you are using? Cause I can assue you a word document having a password set in word on it would have nothing to do with it unzipping from a non-passworded zip file.

You do understand that you can password protect certain files inside a zip, while others are not.

If we knew what application you were using to work with the zip files, we would know what features it supports or does not support, etc.

Example.. As you can see here in this test.zip I created.. file1 and 3 are not encrypted "password protected" but file2 is.. I can unzip file1 and 3 with no problems, but if I try and unzip file2 it asks for the password. This is the ZIP password, not any password what would of be set in whatever application the file might be.

I suggest you test it yourself, create a test word document - put a password on it in word.. Then zip it and unzip to your hearts content. Some password that word places on a file would have no effect on zipping or unzipping the file.

As to defeating the password on the zip.. That would really depend on the level of encryption used.. If its the newer AES 256 that lots and lots of zip programs use -- good luck! There are tools out there to bruteforce the passwords, but if you used any type of decent password your pretty much out of luck.. The speed of these bruteforces are very very slow, so a decent length password could take quite some time to find.

edit: I created a AES-256 encrypted zip.. Look at the speed -- it would TAKE FOREVER to find a very weak password.

but on older encyption method. Its very fast.

edit2: BTW these speeds are on a quad 2.4 ghz box, so your not going to see much faster than that 120 some passwords per second for AES no matter what normal pc hardware you try and bruteforce it on.

Edited February 15, 2009 by BudMan

[EyeHeart]

I've tried the Windows unzip and the 7-zip file manager.

In the properties

zip info box

CRC32: 1A5DB16B

I don't know if that's of any help.

[+BudMan MVC]

So in the 7zip manager does it show the Encrypted + like in my screen shot? Could you post up a screen shot of the 7z file manager with the zip file open.