How to view your Wi-Fi password on Windows 10: A detailed guide with images and commands

Forgot your home Wi-Fi password, and the sticker on your router has worn off? Or need to connect a new device but can't remember the combination? Windows 10 There are several ways to extract a saved wireless network password—both through standard system tools and third-party utilities. The main requirement is that your computer or laptop is already connected to this network (or has been connected previously).

Many users mistakenly believe that viewing a password requires administrator rights or special programs. In fact, Windows 10 stores all passwords from Wi-Fi-networks in clear text, and they can be easily extracted without additional software. In this article, we will analyze 5 working methods — from the simplest (via “Settings”) to advanced (using PowerShell and third-party tools).

If you're worried about breaking something, don't worry: none of these methods will harm the system. But to be on the safe side, Back up your passwords before experimenting. (we will talk about this at the end of the article).

Why does Windows 10 "forget" Wi-Fi passwords?

In fact, the operating system doesn't lose passwords—it simply hides them from the user by default. All saved networks and their security keys are stored in a special database. WLAN, which can be accessed in various ways. Reasons why you might need to retrieve the password:

• 📱 Need to connect a new smartphone, tablet or smart device (e.g. Amazon Echo or Google Nest).
• 🖥️ Reinstalled Windows and forgot to write down the password before resetting.
• 🔄 The router was reset to factory settings, and the sticker with the password was lost.
• 🔒 Want to check if someone else has connected to your network (to do this, you need to compare the current password with the one indicated on the router).

Interesting fact: in Windows 11 Viewing your password has become even easier—there's now a dedicated "Show" button in the network settings. In Windows 10, however, you'll have to dig around in the menu or use commands. But it's nothing complicated!

Method 1: View your password through Windows Settings

The easiest and safest method is to use the built-in system settings. This is suitable if your computer currently connected to the required network (or connected previously).

Instructions:

1. Open the menu Start and select Parameters (gear icon).
2. Go to the section Network and Internet → Wi-Fi.
3. Click on the link Managing known networks.
4. Find the required network in the list and click on it.
5. Select Properties.
6. Scroll down to the block Security parameters and put a check mark next to Show entered characters.

Done! The password will be displayed in the field. Network security keyIt can be copied or written down.

The connection to the required network is active|The account has administrator rights|The network you are looking for is in the "Known networks" list|The antivirus does not block access to system files-->

⚠️ Attention: If the "Show input characters" button is grayed out, your account does not have administrator rights. Try logging in with a different account or using command line method.

This method works in 90% of cases, but sometimes Windows may display the error "The network properties cannot be displayed." In this case, proceed to the next method.

Method 2: Using Command Prompt (CMD)

If the graphical interface doesn't work, help will come command lineThis method is universal and works even on older versions of Windows. You don't need to install any additional programs—just enter a few commands.

Step-by-step instructions:

1. Open Command line as administrator. To do this:
   • Click Win + X.
   • Select Command Prompt (Administrator) or Windows PowerShell (Administrator).

netsh wlan show profiles

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

Example of command output:

Profile name: MyWiFi
...
Security parameters
Authentication type: WPA2-Personal
Encryption type: CCMP
Key contents: 12345678

⚠️ Attention: Some antiviruses (for example, Kaspersky or Avast) may block the execution of the command netshTemporarily disable protection or add the command line to the exceptions.

This method is reliable, but requires careful command entry. If you're worried about making mistakes, use graphical utility from the next section.

Method 3: Extracting the password via PowerShell

PowerShell - is a more powerful command line analogue that can also work with settings Wi-FiThis method is suitable for advanced users or those who like to automate tasks.

Instructions:

1. Open PowerShell as administrator (similar to CMD: Win + X → Windows PowerShell (Administrator)).
2. 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

In a few seconds, you will see a table with all networks and their passwords:

Network name (PROFILE_NAME)	Password
MyWiFi_5G	qwerty123
Office_Net	password123!
Guest_WiFi	welcome2026

The advantage of this method is that you get all passwords at once, you don't need to enter commands for each network separately. The downside is the long command, which is easy to mistype.

How to save passwords to a file?

To export the list of passwords to a text file, add the following to the end of the command:

| Out-File -FilePath "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\WiFi_Passwords.txt"

File WiFi_Passwords.txt will appear on the desktop.

Method 4: Third-party password viewer programs

If you don't want to mess around with commands, you can use specialized utilities. They not only display passwords, but also allow you to edit, export, or backup them. 3 proven programs:

• 🔧 WirelessKeyView (from NirSoft) is a free portable utility that doesn't require installation. It displays all saved passwords in a table and supports export to .txt or .html.
• 🛡️ WiFi Password Revealer — a simple program with the ability to copy a password to the clipboard. Suitable for beginners.
• 📊 Magical Jelly Bean WiFi Password Revealer — in addition to passwords, it shows the signal strength, encryption type, and other network parameters.

How to use WirelessKeyView:

1. Download the program from NirSoft official website (choose the version for 32-bit or 64-bit system).
2. Unzip the file WirelessKeyView.exe and run it (no installation required).
3. In the main window, you will see a list of all networks with speakers:
   • Network Name — network name;
   • Key (Ascii) - password;
   • Key Type — encryption type (WPA2-PSK, WEP etc.).

⚠️ Attention: Some antivirus programs can detect WirelessKeyView as potentially unsafe software due to its ability to extract passwords. This is a false positive—the program is safe, but if in doubt, check it with VirusTotal.

Advantages of third-party utilities:

• 🔍 They show passwords even for networks you haven't connected to in a long time.
• 📤 Can export data to a file.
• 🔄 You can copy or edit passwords in bulk.

Disadvantage: Requires downloading third-party software, which may be inconvenient on a work computer with strict security rules.

Method 5: View the password in Windows configuration files

For experienced users, there is another method: manually searching for the password in system files. Windows 10 stores network data in XML-files that can be opened and read.

Instructions:

1. Open Explorer and go to this path:

   C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Wlansvc\Profiles\Interfaces\{Unique_Identifier}

   Instead of {Unique_Identifier} there will be a long string of numbers and letters (there may be several folders - choose the one with the most files).

2. In the folder, find files with the extension .xml and open them through Notebook or Notepad++.
3. Look for the lines:

   <name>Your_Network_Name</name>
   ...
   <keyMaterial>Your_Password</keyMaterial>

Example of file content:

<WLANProfile xmlns="http://www.microsoft.com/networking/WLAN/profile/v1">
<name>MyWiFi_5G</name>
<SSIDConfig>
<SSID>
<name>MyWiFi_5G</name>
</SSID>
</SSIDConfig>
<connectionType>ESS</connectionType>
<MSM>
<security>
<authEncryption>
<authentication>WPA2PSK</authentication>
<encryption>AES</encryption>
<useOneX>false</useOneX>
</authEncryption>
<sharedKey>
<keyType>passPhrase</keyType>
<protected>false</protected>
<keyMaterial>12345678</keyMaterial>
</sharedKey>
</security>
</MSM>
</WLANProfile>

This method is the most complex, but it works even if other methods fail. Just don't edit the files manually, as this could break the connection!

⚠️ Attention: Folder ProgramData Hidden. To see it, enable hidden files in File Explorer: View → Hidden Elements.

How to protect your passwords from strangers?

Now you know how to easily extract the password from Wi-Fi on Windows 10But what if someone else uses this knowledge? Here are some tips on how to secure your network:

• 🔐 Use complex passwords. Combinations like 12345678 or qwerty hacked in seconds. Optimal password: 12+ characters with letters, numbers, and special characters (e.g. Tr0ub4dour&3).
• 🔄 Change your password every 3-6 months. Especially if guests or colleagues connected to your network.
• 📵 Disable WPS on your router. This feature simplifies the connection, but makes the network vulnerable to brute-force attacks.
• 👥 Set up a guest network. If you have frequent guests, create a separate network with limited access to local resources.
• 🛡️ Enable MAC address filtering. This is not a panacea, but it will make unauthorized connections more difficult.

Also, don't store passwords in plain text on your desktop or in a notepad. If you're worried about forgetting them, use a password manager like KeePass or Bitwarden.

It will generate a random combination of 16 characters.-->

Backing up Wi-Fi passwords

Before reinstallation Windows It's helpful to save all passwords or reset your router to avoid having to reconfigure your networks. Here's how:

1. Open Command prompt (administrator).
2. Enter the command to export all profiles:

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

   This will create a folder WiFi_Backup on disk C: with files .xml for each network.

3. Copy the folder to a flash drive or to the cloud.

To restore networks after reinstalling Windows:

1. Copy the files .xml to a new computer.
2. Run the command for each network:

   netsh wlan add profile filename="C:\WiFi_Backup\File_Name.xml"

This backup will save you hours of re-configuring connections!

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

Now you know all the ways to view your password Wi-Fi on Windows 10 — from standard settings to advanced utilities. If none of the methods work, check:

• Are you connected to the correct network (or have you connected to it before?)
• Does your account have administrator rights?
• Does the antivirus block access to system files?

And remember: knowledge is power, but use it responsibly!