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

Forgot your home or office Wi-Fi password, but your computer is Windows 10 Pro Already connected to the internet? The situation is familiar to many: your router was set up by your ISP or colleague, the password was entered once, and then forgotten. Fortunately, the operating system stores all saved passwords in encrypted form, and they can be retrieved without special software.

In this article you will find 5 proven methodsHow to find your Wi-Fi password on Windows 10 Pro—from the simplest way to view it through the graphical interface to the command line and PowerShell. We'll cover the nuances for different authentication types (WPA2-PSK, WPA3), we'll explain why passwords are sometimes displayed as asterisks and what to do if the network isn't in the connection list. All methods work without administrator rights, as long as your account has access to saved networks.

Important: If you are trying to get the password for someone else's network (for example, a neighbor's or a cafe's), without the owner's permission, this is a violation of the law on unauthorized access to computer information (Article 272 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The article is intended only for the legal restoration of access to your own networks.

Method 1: View your password through Windows Settings (the easiest way)

This method doesn't require any command knowledge or third-party software. It works on all versions of Windows 10 Pro, as long as the computer has connected to the target network at least once.

1. Open Settings through the menu Start (gear icon) or click Win + I.
2. Go to the section Network and Internet → Wi-Fi.
3. Click Managing known networks.
4. Find the required network in the list and click on its name.
5. Select Properties, then scroll down to the block Security parameters.
6. Check the box Show entered characters — the password will become visible instead of dots.

If the button Show entered characters inactive or missing, this means that:

• 🔹 Your account does not have permission to view passwords (administrator rights are required).
• 🔹 The network uses enterprise authentication (WPA2-Enterprise), where the password is stored in the system differently.
• 🔹 The connection was configured via WPS or QSS, and the password was not saved.

Method 2: Command Line (Universal Method)

Command line (CMD) allows you to extract the password of any saved network, even if it's not available in the graphical interface. The method works through a built-in utility. netsh, which manages network settings.

Open Command Prompt as Administrator (press Win + X → Command Prompt (Administrator)) and perform in order:

netsh wlan show profiles

This command will list all saved networks. Remember the exact name of the one you want (case is important!).

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

Find the line in the results Key content — this is the password. If instead of the password you see Absent, the network uses a different type of authentication (e.g. certificates).

Why might the command output not contain a password?

If the network is connected via 802.1X (enterprise), the password is not stored locally—domain credentials or certificates are used instead. In this case, it is impossible to recover the password through Windows; please contact your network administrator.

⚠️ Attention: If the network name contains spaces or Cyrillic characters, enclose it in quotation marks: name="My Wi-Fi"Otherwise, the command will return an error.

Method 3: PowerShell for Advanced Users

PowerShell — a more powerful tool than CMD, and also allows you to extract Wi-Fi passwords. This method is useful if you need to export a list of all networks with passwords to a file.

Launch PowerShell as administrator and run:

(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; PASSWORD=$pass}} | Format-Table -AutoSize

The script will output a table with all saved networks and their passwords. To save the result to a file, add the following to the end of the command:

| Out-File -FilePath "C:\WiFi_Passwords.txt" -Encoding UTF8

File WiFi_Passwords.txt will appear on the disk C:\.

Method 4: View the password in the Network and Sharing Center (alternative GUI)

If the new Settings interface confuses you, you can use the classic Control Panel. This method works in both Windows 10 Pro and older versions of the OS.

1. Right-click on the Wi-Fi icon in the tray (bottom right corner of the screen) and select Open Network and Internet settings.
2. Scroll down and click Network and Sharing Center.
3. Select on the left Managing wireless networks.
4. Double-click on the desired network → tab Security.
5. Check the box Show entered characters.

If tabs Security no or it is inactive:

• 🔹 Network connected via WPS (button on the router).
• 🔹 The network profile is corrupted (try deleting the network and connecting again).
• 🔹 Used Windows Domain Authentication (corporate networks).

Method 5: Using third-party programs (for advanced users)

If Windows' built-in tools don't help, you can use specialized utilities. They're handy when you need to:

• 🔹 Save all passwords in one file.
• 🔹 Recover passwords after reinstalling Windows (if you have a registry backup).
• 🔹 View passwords Enterprise- networks (if you have rights).

Popular programs:

• WirelessKeyView (from NirSoft) is a portable utility that shows all saved passwords without installation.
• WiFi Password Revealer - simple interface, export to .txt.
• Magical Jelly Bean WiFi Password Revealer - supports WPA3.

⚠️ AttentionDownload programs only from official developer websites. Many "Wi-Fi hackers" online contain malware. For legitimate purposes, built-in Windows tools are sufficient.

Example of working with WirelessKeyView:

1. Download the archive from official website (chapter Download WirelessKeyView).
2. Unzip and run WirelessKeyView.exe (no installation required).
3. The program will automatically show all networks with passwords in the column Key (Ascii).

What to do if the password is not displayed?

Sometimes, even after all these steps, the password remains hidden or missing. Let's look at some common causes and solutions:

If none of the methods worked, there are two options left:

1. Reset the router to factory settings (button Reset for 10 seconds) - the password will return to the standard one (indicated on the device sticker).
2. Connect via cable to the router and go to its web interface (usually at the address 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1), where the password can be found in the section Wireless.

Bonus: How to protect your Wi-Fi from hacking?

Now that you know how to easily extract a password from Windows, it's time to think about the security of your network. Here 5 rules, which will make things more difficult for attackers:

• 🔒 Use WPA3-PSK instead of WPA2 (if the router supports it).
• 🔑 The password must be at least 12 characters, with numbers, letters and special characters (for example, K7#pL9!mQ2$v).
• 📛 Turn off WPS in the router settings - this protocol is vulnerable to brute force.
• 🔄 Update your router firmware regularly (every 3–6 months).
• 👤 Create guest network for friends, it is isolated from the main one.

Important: If your router is older than 5 years, it may not support WPA3 or other modern security standards. In this case, the only reliable protection is to replace the device.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about Wi-Fi passwords in Windows 10 Pro

Is it possible to find out the password for a Wi-Fi connection that another user connected to on the same PC?

Yes, if your account has administrator rights. All saved networks are stored globally in the system and are not tied to a specific user. Use netsh or WirelessKeyView (run as administrator) to see all profiles.

Why did all saved networks disappear after upgrading from Windows 10 to 11?

During a major update (for example, from 10 to 11), Wi-Fi profiles are usually preserved, but sometimes they fail. Check the folder C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Wlansvc\Profiles\Interfaces — profile files are stored there (.xml). If they are, the networks can be restored through netsh wlan add profile filename="file_path".

Is it possible to extract a Wi-Fi password from someone else's computer remotely?

Technically yes, but it's illegal. For legal access (for example, to a corporate PC), use tools like PsExec from Sysinternals With the administrator's permission. Without the owner's consent, such actions are classified as hacking (Article 272 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

How to export all Wi-Fi passwords to a file for backup?

By using PowerShell (method 3) or WirelessKeyView (method 5). In WirelessKeyView select File → Save All Items and save in format .txt or .csvTo restore, use the command netsh wlan add profile filename="path_to_file.xml".

Why in the conclusion netsh Some networks are marked as Cost: Unrestricted, and others - Cost: Fixed?

This is an internal Windows label indicating the connection type:

• Unrestricted — the network is considered “home” or “work” (full access).
• Fixed - limited connection (e.g. public Wi-Fi).

This does not affect the password, but it may limit the exchange of data between devices on the network.