How to find your Wi-Fi password on a Windows 10 computer: all the working methods

Forgot your home Wi-Fi password, and the sticker on your router has worn off? Or do you need to connect a new device but don't have the password handy? This situation is familiar to many, especially if the network was set up a long time ago or was set up by a professional. Luckily, Windows 10 There are several ways to retrieve a saved password for a Wi-Fi network your computer is already connected to. No need to reset your router or call your provider!

In this article you will find 5 proven methods — from standard system tools to advanced utilities. We'll look at how to view a password using Windows Settings, Command line, PowerShell, as well as using third-party programs. Each method is illustrated with screenshots and provided with step-by-step instructions. Important: all methods work. only if the computer is already connected to the target network — otherwise there is simply nowhere to get the data.

A word of warning: don't use this knowledge to hack other people's networks. Accessing Wi-Fi passwords without the owner's permission may be considered unauthorized access to computer information (Article 272 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). All examples in the article are given for work with own networks.

1. The easiest way: via Windows Settings

If your computer is connected to Wi-Fi, you can view the password in a couple of clicks—no command line or third-party programs required. This method is suitable for Windows 10 version 1803 and later (we'll tell you how to check the version below).

Instructions:

• 📋 Open the menu Start and select Parameters (gear icon) → go to the section Network and Internet.
• 🌐 In the left menu, select Wi-Fi, then press Managing known networks.
• 🔍 Find the desired network in the list and click on its name → press Properties.
• 🔑 Scroll down to the block Network password and press the button Show symbols under the field with dots.

Done! The password will be displayed in text form. If the button Show symbols is inactive, which means your account does not have administrator rights - you will need to enter your account password Windows with the appropriate rights.

⚠️ Note: In older versions Windows 10 (before 1803) section Managing known networks may be missing. In this case, use the method with Command line (section 2) or update the system.

2. Universal method: Command line (CMD)

If the interface Windows does not show the password (for example, due to an outdated version of the system), will come to the rescue command lineThis method works on all versions of Windows 10, including LTSC And Enterprise.

Follow the instructions:

1. Launch Command line as administrator:
   • 🔍 Click Win + S, enter cmd.
   • 🖱️ Right click on Command line → Run as administrator.

netsh wlan show profiles

netsh wlan show profile name="NETWORK_NAME" key=clear

Example command output (password highlighted):

Profile name: MyWiFi_5G
...
Security parameters
Authentication type: WPA2-Personal
Encryption type: CCMP
    Key content: qW3$rT9!pL2@kM

⚠️ Note: If there is no line in the command output Key content, then the password is not saved in the system. This happens if the connection is configured through WPS or the network is open (without password).

3. CMD Alternative: PowerShell for Advanced Users

PowerShell — a more powerful tool than CMD, and also allows you to extract a Wi-Fi password. This method is useful if you need to automate a process (for example, save all passwords to a file) or if netsh For some reason it doesn't work.

Instructions:

• 📜 Launch PowerShell as administrator (similarly CMD through Win + S).
• 🔧 Enter the command to display all saved passwords:

  (netsh wlan show profiles) | Select-String "\:(.+)$" | %{$name=$_.Matches.Groups[1].Value.Trim(); $_} | %{(netsh wlan show profile name="$name" key=clear)} | Select-String "Key contents\W+\:(.+)$" | %{$pass=$_.Matches.Groups[1].Value.Trim(); $_} | %{[PSCustomObject]@{PROFILE_NAME=$name;PASSWORD=$pass}} | Format-Table -AutoSize

The result of the execution is a table with all networks and their passwords:

If you need to save passwords to a file, add to the end of the command | Out-File -FilePath "C:\wifi_passwords.txt"The file will appear on the disk. C:.

4. Third-party programs: WirelessKeyView and similar programs

If standard methods don't work or you need to quickly export all your passwords, a free utility will help. WirelessKeyView from NirSoftIt does not require installation and shows all saved Wi-Fi passwords in a convenient tabular form.

How to use:

1. 📥 Download the program from NirSoft official website (check the file for viruses!).
2. 📂 Unzip the archive and run WirelessKeyView.exe (admin rights are not required).
3. 🔍 The program will automatically display all networks with passwords. To copy the data, select the line and click Ctrl + C.

Advantages WirelessKeyView:

• 🔄 Works even if netsh does not show the password.
• 📄 Export to TXT, HTML or XML.
• 🔍 Shows additional information: encryption type, first connection date.

⚠️ Attention: Antiviruses may complain about programs from NirSoft, as they read system data. This is a false positive—the utilities are safe, but download them only from the official website.

5. How to find out someone else's Wi-Fi password (ethically and legally)

Let's say you're visiting someone and want to connect your laptop to Wi-Fi, but they don't remember the password. Is it possible to retrieve it from their computer? with their consent? Yes, but there are some nuances:

Conditions of legality:

• 🤝 The computer owner must give explicit permission.
• 🏠 The network must belong to the owner of the property (not a neighbor's Wi-Fi!).
• 📝 It's better to grant access temporarily (for example, create a guest network on the router).

If the conditions are met, use any method from this article. The most convenient one for other people's PCs is Command line (section 2), since it does not require software installation. Alternative:

1. Ask the owner to open it Control Panel → Network and Sharing Center → Change adapter settings.
2. Double-click on the active connection Wi-Fi → Wireless network properties → Security.
3. Check the box Show entered characters — the password will become visible.

Important: In corporate networks (such as offices or hotels), passwords are often stored encrypted and not visible even to the PC administrator. In such cases, please contact your IT department.

6. What to do if none of the methods worked?

If your computer does not display your password even though it is connected to the network, there may be a number of possible causes:

If nothing helps, there remains reset the router settings (button Reset on the back panel) and set it up again. The default password is located on the device's sticker (usually in the format admin/12345678).

⚠️ Note: Resetting your router will delete all settings, including your network name, password, provider association, and parental control rules. You will need to set it up again after the reset.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions About Wi-Fi Passwords in Windows 10

(netsh wlan export profile key=clear folder="C:\WiFi_Backup")