Can you mail merge with a password proefcted excel

The age-old challenge of mail merging with a password-protected Excel file!

Unfortunately, it's not possible to directly mail merge with a password-protected Excel file using most mail merge software, including Microsoft Word's built-in mail merge feature. This is because the password protection prevents the software from accessing the file's contents.

However, there are a few workarounds you can try:

  1. Save the Excel file as a CSV or text file: If you have the password, you can save the Excel file as a CSV (Comma Separated Values) or text file. This will allow you to mail merge with the file using software that supports CSV or text files.
  2. Use a third-party add-in or software: There are some third-party add-ins and software that can help you mail merge with a password-protected Excel file. For example:
    • Excel Mail Merge (add-in for Microsoft Excel) allows you to mail merge with a password-protected Excel file.
    • Mail Merge Toolkit (software) supports mail merging with password-protected Excel files.
    • Excel Password Recovery (software) can help you recover the password and then use the file for mail merging.
  3. Use VBA scripting: If you have some programming skills, you can use VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) scripting to automate the mail merge process. You can create a VBA script that opens the password-protected Excel file, extracts the data, and then uses the data to create a mail merge document.
  4. Ask the password holder to provide the data in a different format: If you're working with someone who has the password, you can ask them to provide the data in a different format, such as a CSV or text file, or even a mail merge-ready format like a Word document or a database.

Remember to always follow best practices for password security and only share passwords with trusted individuals.