How to Read Password‑Protected Excel Files with Pandas and Openpyxl

Introduction

The author, a Python enthusiast, shares a recent question from a community chat about reading an Excel file that appears to be encrypted when accessed via pandas.

Problem

Someone attempted to read an Excel workbook with pd.read_excel using the openpyxl engine but encountered errors, suspecting the file is password‑protected by the company’s security policies.

Solution

Encrypted Excel files cannot be read directly by pandas; the file must be opened with the correct password first. Using openpyxl you can load the workbook in read‑only mode with the password, then convert the sheet to a pandas DataFrame.

from openpyxl import load_workbook
import pandas as pd

# Load encrypted Excel file
workbook = load_workbook(filename='your_file.xlsx', read_only=True, password='your_password')

# Select the active worksheet
sheet = workbook.active

# Convert worksheet to pandas DataFrame
data = pd.DataFrame(sheet.values)

If the password is unknown, you need to obtain it from your IT department. Once the workbook is loaded, you can manipulate the data as usual.

Conclusion

The discussion highlights the importance of handling encrypted Excel files properly and provides a ready‑to‑use code example for Python developers facing similar challenges.