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How to Find Wi-Fi Password on Windows 10

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How to Find Wi-Fi Password on Windows 10

It’s not uncommon to forget your Wi-Fi password as you only enter it once on your personal devices. Most internet service providers offer routers with randomly generated passwords by default. This makes remembering them very hard.

However, if you forgot your Wi-Fi password, don’t fret. You can easily find your Wi-Fi password on Windows 10. In fact, there are several ways to recover it.  

#1: Find Wi-Fi Password Using Network Settings

It’s one of the most straightforward ways of finding your Wi-Fi password on Windows 10. In most cases, we’d advise you to click on the Start Menu to access Settings and Network & Internet.

However, this guide is written on a Windows 11 machine, and the interface is completely different from Windows 10. That’s why we will access the settings using the Control Panel app. It works the same way on both versions of Windows OS.

Step 1: Open Network and Sharing

Go to the Start Menu on Windows (or Search) and type in “Control Panel.” Don’t worry if you don’t have the search bar or icon displayed on your taskbar. Windows will immediately switch to search mode and provide you with the desired result. Click on the Control Panel app to open it.

network-and-sharing
Go to Network and Sharing Center on your PC/laptop.

Once the Control Panel is open, locate and click on Network and Sharing Center. Next, you’ll see a View your active networks section displaying the network, access, and connection type. Click on your Wi-Fi connection on the left part of the section.

Step 2: Display the Password

Once you click on your Wi-Fi, Windows will open the Wi-Fi Status dialog box. Click on the Wireless Properties button under the Connection section of the General tab.

wireless-properties
Under Wireless properties, you will find the security tab with the network password.

This will open your network’s Wireless Network Properties window. Click on the Security tab, which holds information about the network’s security type, encryption, and network security key—we’re particularly interested in the latter.

Click on the Show characters box to display your current Wi-Fi network password. Write it down, and safely exit all the previously opened dialog boxes.

#2: Use the Run Command

Windows introduced the Run Command dialog box back in Windows 95, and it has been available in all subsequent releases of Windows OS. Finding your Wi-Fi password on Windows 10 using this method is basically the same as with Method #1.

Step 1: Run the Command

Open the Run dialog box by pressing the WIN+R keys on your keyboard. The Run dialog box should appear in the lower left section of your screen. Next, type in ncpa.cpl into the text field and either click OK or hit the Enter key on your keyboard.

network connections
Type in ncpa.cpl on the box that pops up.

The command will execute and immediately open the Network Connections window, displaying all active and inactive connections. Double-click your Wi-Fi connection to open up the Wi-Fi status window.

Step 2: Reveal Your Password

This step is identical to Method 1, Step 2. Once the Wi-Fi Status pops up, click on the Wireless Properties. When a new window pops, go to the Security tab and click on Show characters to reveal your password.

#3: Use a PowerShell Command

If you really want to feel like a hacker from a movie, you can use PowerShell commands. This method reveals many details about your network, including your password. However, this method can also be used to find the password of every network you have ever connected to. Here’s how:

Step 1: Open PowerShell

For this method to work, you need to open PowerShell in your Windows 10. Right-click on the Start Menu, and select Windows PowerShell (Admin) from the context menu. This method also works with the Command Prompt app as long as it’s initiated with administrator rights.

Please note Windows 11 uses a different name for PowerShell—Terminal. If you’re using Windows 11, right-click the Start Menu, and select Terminal (Admin) from the context menu.  

Step 2: List Your Networks

Once the PowerShell opens (in our case, Terminal), enter netsh wlan show profiles and hit the Enter key on your keyboard. This will list all the saved network names under the User Profile section. Next, copy the name of the network whose password you’re extracting using keyboard shortcuts—refer to our How to Copy and Paste on Windows guide to learn how.

windows-command
Your Wi-fi password is next to Key Content.

Next, enter netsh wlan show profile “name=[network name]” key=clear command in PowerShell. However, you have to replace the [network name] with the network name you previously copied. Hit Enter to display information about this network.  

Scroll through the listed information until you reach the Security settings section. You will see your Wi-Fi password next to the Key content.

#4 Use Third-Party Software

Using third-party software is perhaps the most viable solution if you’re frequently looking for your Wi-Fi password. Here’s a list of some of the best Wi-Fi password extractors:

WirelessKeyView

WirelessKeyView is a free bit of software that retrieves the Wi-Fi password stored on your computer. Furthermore, it allows you to export the key to a file or copy it to the Clipboard for further use.

SterJo Wireless Passwords

Sterjo is another free tool that shows you Wi-Fi passwords stored on your computer. It supports WEP, WPA, and WPA2 encryption methods and displays each saved network’s network name (SSID), password, and authentication method.

#5: Check Your Router

Most network hardware manufacturers deliver routers with pre-defined Wi-Fi passwords. To make the job of tech support easier, most companies define the Wi-Fi password as the device’s serial number. Look for a stick on the router with a clearly written password. If it doesn’t, try the device’s serial number.

How to Find Wi-Fi Password on Windows 10: 5 Must-Know Facts:

Here are the 5 must-know facts about your Wi-Fi password:

  • Windows OS stores the device of all the Wi-Fi networks your computer is connected to. Using our guide, you can retrieve all those passwords.
  • However, the password becomes unretrievable if you ever purposefully Forget a network.
  • If, for whatever reason, you can’t access the Settings app; you can retrieve the password using Control Panel.
  • If all else fails, you can call your ISP and have them reset your password remotely.
  • It’s really important to regularly update your Wi-Fi Password to ensure the security of your network.  

In the following video, Kevin Stratvert demonstrates how to find your Wi-Fi password on Windows, including versions 7, 8, 10, and 11.

Conclusion

Hopefully, the above instructions helped you find the Wi-Fi password on Windows 10. If you need any other help with your computer, check out some of our guides on How to Open RAR Files on Windows 10 or How to Transfer Photos from iPhone to a Computer.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find my Wi-Fi password on my computer?

You can find your Wi-Fi password in several different ways. Refer to our guide for more information.

Can I find a Wi-Fi password if I'm not connected to the network.

Yes, but only under the condition that you have been connected to it at one point. If you don’t have access to a certain network at this point but you’d like to extract its password, refer to Method 3 explained in our guide.

What can I do if I forgot the password?

If you’ve forgotten the password of your Wi-Fi network, the best course of action is to call your Internet Service Provider.

What is SSID for Wi-Fi?

SSID stands for Service Set IDentifier—it’s basically your network’s name.

Is SSID the same as Wi-Fi password?

The SSID is the name of your wireless network. This is what you will look for when connecting wireless computers and devices. The Password is the secret word or phrase you will enter when first connecting a device to your wireless network.

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