How to view your Wi-Fi password on Windows 10 if you're not connected to the network

Forgot your home Wi-Fi password, and your laptop or PC is no longer connected to the network? This situation is familiar to many: the router was set up a long time ago, the password sticker has worn off, and your new gadget requires you to enter the security key. Luckily, Windows 10 stores all saved Wi-Fi passwords in the system—even if you're currently offline. The main thing is to know where and how to retrieve them.

In this article you will find 5 proven methods, including methods through command line, network parameters, registry and third-party utilities. We'll walk you through each option step by step, taking into account any nuances (for example, if you don't have administrator rights or your password is encrypted). You'll also learn how to protect your data from prying eyes and what to do if none of the methods work.

Important: All instructions are valid for Windows 10 (including the latest builds 22H2). On Windows 11 The algorithm is similar, but the location of some menu items may differ. If you're using a corporate network with domain authentication (for example, in an office), these methods won't fit — passwords for such networks are stored on the server, not locally.

1. View the password through Network Settings (the easiest way)

If your computer has connected to the desired Wi-Fi network at least once, the password is saved in the system. To view it, you don't need to install any additional software—standard tools are sufficient. Windows 10.

Step-by-step instructions:

1. Open the menu Start and select Parameters (gear icon).
2. Go to the section Network and Internet → Wi-Fi.
3. Scroll down and click Managing known networks.
4. Find the required network in the list and click on it.
5. Select Properties (or Additional options in some versions).
6. In the field Network security key The password will be displayed, but it will be hidden by dots. To see it, check the box. Show entered characters.

⚠️ Attention: if the button Managing known networks is inactive or the network is not listed, then Windows did not save the password (for example, you connected via WPS (or guest access). In this case, try other methods from the article.

This method only works for networks you have connected to. from the current deviceIf you move your hard drive to another PC, your passwords won't be saved—they're tied to your user profile and hardware ID.

Has your PC connected to this Wi-Fi network before? | You have administrator rights | The network is not a corporate network (no domain authentication) | You are not using a VPN or proxy that could change your network settings.

2. How to find out the Wi-Fi password via the command line (CMD)

If the graphical interface does not show the password (for example, due to a system failure), help will come command lineThis method is universal and works even on damaged Windows builds.

Instructions:

1. Launch Command line as an administrator. To do this, click Win + X and select Command Prompt (Administrator) or Windows PowerShell (Administrator).
2. Enter the command to view all saved networks:

   netsh wlan show profiles

   Find the name of the desired network (SSID) in the list.

3. Run the command to extract the password (replace NETWORK_NAME to the real name):

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

4. Find the line in the results Key content - this is the password.

🔹 Example output: if the network is called MyWiFi_5G, the command will be like this:

netsh wlan show profile name="MyWiFi_5G" key=clear

Look for the block in the answer Security parameters → Key content.

⚠️ Attention: if instead of a password you see a message Missing key (Group Policy), this means that the network uses enterprise authentication (for example, WPA2-Enterprise). In this case, the password is stored on the radius server and cannot be retrieved locally.

for /f "skip=9 tokens=1,2 delims=:" %i in ('netsh wlan show profiles ^| find "All user profiles"') do @echo %j | findstr -v -i "Name" & netsh wlan show profile name="%j" key=clear | findstr "Key contents" >> WiFi_passwords.txt

File WiFi_passwords.txt will appear in the user folder.-->

3. Extracting the password through the Windows registry

All Wi-Fi settings, including passwords, are stored in Windows registry in encrypted form. Decrypting them will require a little more effort than the previous methods, but this method works even if other tools are blocked by antivirus software.

How to find a password in the registry:

1. Click Win + R, enter regedit and confirm the launch.
2. Follow the path:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Wlansvc\Interfaces\

   There will be folders with long names (these are network interface identifiers).

3. Open each folder and find the parameter ProfileName — its value corresponds to the network name (SSID).
4. In the same folder there will be a parameter Profile - Double-click on it. In the field Meaning You will see the encrypted password in the format HEX.
5. Copy this HEX-code and use an online decoder (for example, CodeBeautify) or command PowerShell for decoding:

   [System.Text.Encoding]::Unicode.GetString((0..(($hexString.Length/2)-1)|%{[Convert]::ToByte($hexString.Substring($_*2,2),16)}))

   Where $hexString - your copied HEX-code.

🔹 Example: If you see the line in the registry 48656C6C6F576F726C64, after decoding you will get a password HelloWorld.

⚠️ Attention: Editing the registry may cause system failures. Do not change or delete any parameters. — just browse them. If you're unsure of what to do, use the alternative methods in this article.

4. Using third-party programs to view passwords

If you are not comfortable working with the command line or registry, you can use specialized utilitiesThey automatically scan the system and display all saved Wi-Fi passwords in a convenient format.

Top 3 Wi-Fi Password Viewers:

• 🔹 WirelessKeyView (from NirSoft) is a free portable utility that requires no installation. It displays all networks your PC has ever connected to, including hidden ones.hidden SSID). Download from the official website.
• 🔹 WiFi Password Revealer — a simple program with a minimalist interface. Supports password export to .txt or .csv.
• 🔹 Magical Jelly Bean WiFi Password Revealer — displays passwords in a table with additional information (encryption type, first connection date).

How to use WirelessKeyView (step by step):

1. Download the archive with the program and unzip it.
2. Run the file WirelessKeyView.exe (administrator rights are not required).
3. In the main window you will see a list of all networks (Network Name) and corresponding passwords (Key (Ascii)).
4. To copy a password, right-click on it and select Copy Key.

⚠️ Please note: some antivirus programs (eg. Avast or Kaspersky) can block utilities like WirelessKeyView, considering them potentially dangerous. This is a false positive—the program doesn't contain viruses, but it can indeed be used by attackers to steal passwords. If you downloaded it from the official website, feel free to add it to your antivirus exceptions.

• 🔄 Resetting the router: press the button Reset on the back of the router (hold for 10-15 seconds). After resetting, use the default password (usually found on the device's sticker). Minus: all router settings will be reset, including IP bindings And port forwarding.
• 📱 View your password on another device: if a smartphone is connected to this network (Android or iPhone), phone or tablet, you can extract the password from there. Android will be required root rights or a file manager with access to /data/misc/wifi/WifiConfigStore.xml.
• 🖥️ Connection via cable: if you have access to the router through Ethernet, log in to the web interface (usually at 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1) and look at the password in the section Wireless or Wi-Fi.
• 📞 Contacting your provider: if the router was issued by the Internet provider (for example, Rostelecom or Beeline), call support - they can restore the standard password using the contract number.