A password cracker program, often called a password recovery tool or a password unlocker/reset tool, is a software program used to "crack" a password, either by discovering the password outright, bypassing the encryption by removing the password, or bypassing the need for a password by changing the way the program or file works.
If you've lost your password to something like Windows or an encrypted file, and the normal means to change the password won't work, a password cracker program might be able to help.
Fully functional, completely free password crackers do exist alongside the many premium password crackers that you might find doing a quick search. The best of these free passwords crackers are included in the various password cracker categories below:
Important: Password crackers and other kinds of password recovery and finder tools are legitimate programs to help discover or reset lost passwords. You should know however that in most countries, it is only legal to use these kinds of programs to crack passwords to computers, files, and services that you own or have permission to crack.
1. Windows Password Crackers
A Windows password cracker is any program that can crack a Windows logon password. If you've lost your Windows password and can't login anymore, one of these password crackers can help.
Most of these programs are Windows password reset tools, like Offline NT Password and Registry Editor, PC Login Now, and a few others.
Some password crackers for Windows are actual password recovery tools. Ophcrack is by far the most popular true Windows passwordrecovery tool.
All of the Windows password crackers available from the link below are completely free to download and use on your computer.
2. PDF Password Crackers
PDFCrack is the best free PDF password recovery tool available, assuming that's what you're after - an actual password "recovery" and not a simple PDF password removal or reset.
Method: PDFCrack would be considered a true PDF password recovery program since it recovers both the user password and owner password from encrypted PDFs. PDFCrack uses a brute-force password recovery method.
Limits: PDFCrack works with PDF files up to version 1.6 with 128-bit RC4 encryption.
My Test: PDFCrack recovered the 4-digit owner password on a version 1.6 PDF file with 128-bit RC4 encryption in two minutes. A longer and/or more complicated PDF password could take days, weeks, or even longer to recover.
If all you need is a way to bypass the permissions security in a PDF then PDFCrack is probably more than you need in a PDF password cracker. However, if you need to know the actual owner or user password, PDFCrack is your best bet. I
PDFCrack is a command-line tool and should work on Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP, including both 32-bit and 64-bit versions.
Download PDFCrack 0.11 for Windows
3.Word and Excel password recovery Wizard
Welcome to the download page. You can get the latest version of the FREE Word and Excel password recovery Wizard from this page.
This software is freeware, not a trial version or shareware. This is the full version of the password cracking software.
What is new in the version 2.0 ?
[+] Added a new sleek HTML interface.
[+] Added multi-language support.
[*] Passsword recovery is now up to 5 times faster.
[*] The text of the interface has been completely rewritten to make the program even more user-friendly.
[+] Added multi-language support.
[*] Passsword recovery is now up to 5 times faster.
[*] The text of the interface has been completely rewritten to make the program even more user-friendly.
Commercial password cracker for MS Office 2007-2010 documents
Our free application only supports files protected with “open” document password in the MS Word \ MS Excel 97 – 2003 file format. To recover a password for MS Office 2007-2010 documents, use commercial software -Passware Kit.
4. RAR Password Crackers
A RAR password cracker is a software tool that can find the RAR default password, the password you're prompted for when you try to extract the contents of an encrypted RAR file.
All RAR password crackers are actually password recovery tools. I'm not aware of a RAR password cracker, free or otherwise, that can be used to remove a RAR password outright.
I'm working on a list of free RAR password crackers but in the meantime, cRARk is probably your best free RAR password cracking option.
5. ZIP Password Crackers
A ZIP password cracker is a program tool that can discover the password used to encrypt the contents of a ZIP file.
All ZIP password crackers are actually brute force, ZIP passwordrecovery programs. I don't know of any free ZIP password removers or unlockers.
I'm currently compiling a list of of free ZIP password crackers but so far, the freeware ZIP Password Cracker Pro is the best I've found.
6. Excel Password Crackers
An Excel password cracker is a software tool that either removes or finds the Microsoft Excel document open password. There are also Excel password crackers that remove and recover the protect sheet and protect workbook password in Excel.
Most Excel password crackers are password recovery tools that use the brute force method.
While I work on a complete list of freeware Excel password recovery tools, try Free Word and Excel Password Recovery Wizard, likely the best option anyway.
