I guess this wouldn't work with an encrypted wallet.dat which was introduced later than 2011.
It would be pretty unfeasible to attempt a brute-force, due to the number of encryption rounds.
More likely you have obtained someone elses wallet.dat file that they have encrypted and they do not know you have a copy of this wallet.dat so they are still using it, and you do not know their key but would quite like to access their coins.
send any new coins to a new address, sure you may remember the password but hedge against that possibility with another wallet, please. for my sake, for my sanity, do it for me.