KeyFinder
100% local · Private · Open source

Unlock files you've
lost the password to

Forgot the password to an old Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF or ZIP file?
KeyFinder helps you recover it — right here in your browser.
Nothing is uploaded. Everything stays on your device.

  • Runs 100% in
    your browser
  • No uploads,
    no accounts
  • Fast with common
    passwords & dictionary
How it works

Open source — inspect the code, verify what it does.

Drop your file here or browse

Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF or ZIP.
Nothing leaves your device.

Or select from your device Choose a file

Your files never leave your device. 100% private.

Supported file types

Learn more
Word 97–2003 · .doc Ready
Excel 97–2003 · .xls Ready
PowerPoint 97–2003 · .ppt Beta
PDF RC4 — older Ready
ZIP (Crypto) ZipCrypto legacy Ready
ZIP (AES) WinZip / 7-Zip Weak pw

Performance depends on password complexity and file type. Strong modern encryption (e.g., PDF AES) may take longer or be out of reach.

How it works

Read the details
  1. 1Choose a file Select or drop your locked file in the browser.
  2. 2We try smart first Common passwords & dictionary words first.
  3. 3Brute force (if needed) More combinations using optimized algorithms.
  4. 4Password found Get your password and open your file.

How it works

Everything runs on your device. Your file is opened by code in this browser tab and is never sent anywhere — you can disconnect from the internet after the page loads.

Why it can help. Old file formats used weak, obsolete locks — 40-bit RC4 in legacy Office and PDFs, traditional ZipCrypto in ZIPs. KeyFinder rapidly tries likely passwords against them; everyday and dictionary passwords are usually found within seconds.

Modern Office (2007+). Newer .xlsx/.docx/.pptx use strong AES, and their key derivation hashes each guess tens of thousands of times on purpose. KeyFinder can still try common and dictionary passwords, but only weak passwords are realistically reachable, and it runs far slower than the older formats — think a few hundred guesses per second, not millions. Common passwords sit near the top of the list, so those are found quickly; leave it running for the rest.

ZIP files. Legacy ZipCrypto ZIPs are recovered quickly. AES ZIPs (from 7-Zip, WinZip, macOS or the GNOME/Windows "compress" menu) use strong AES for the data but a weak key derivation (PBKDF2, 1000 rounds), so common passwords are recoverable too — dictionary-first and usually quick.

Limits. It can't feasibly break strong, unique passwords, and AES-encrypted PDFs aren't supported. Long random passwords are out of reach without dedicated hardware.

Please only use this on files you own or are authorized to access.

Developer diagnostics

Verify the cryptographic core against public test vectors, in your browser.