Are you still using the Wi-Fi password that is written on the back of the router provided to you by your ISP? If so, then it’s probably a really long combination of letters, numbers and symbols that you can never remember.
Most people try to write down the password somewhere or just check the router every time they need to pass it on to someone else. Fortunately, if you already have a computer connected to your Wi-Fi network, you can easily view the password there.
I have already written about how to view Wi-Fi passwords on Mac and in this article I will cover the same as on Windows. Please note that the procedure is the same for Windows 7, 8 or 10. Also, be sure to watch the YouTube video we made below in case you don’t want to read so much text.
View WiFi Password in Windows
To view the Wi-Fi password on your Windows computer, you need to make sure that you are already connected to a Wi-Fi network or have previously connected to a Wi-Fi network. If so, right-click the WiFi icon in the taskbar and select “Open Network and Sharing Center”.
Now go ahead and click on “Change adapter settings” in the left menu. Also, don’t forget to read my previous post if you want to know more about the Network and Sharing Center.
Find the Wi-Fi icon, right-click it and select Status.
The Wi-Fi Status dialog box will open, where you can see the basic information about the wireless network connection.
Click the Wireless Properties button and then click the Security tab.
Here you will see the “Network Security Key” text box. Check the Show Symbols checkbox and you should now be able to see the WiFi security password. Note that this is just the Wi-Fi password of the currently connected Wi-Fi network. What if you want to see Wi-Fi passwords for Wi-Fi networks your computer was previously connected to?
Fortunately, in Windows 7, this is pretty easy too. On Windows 8 and 10, you have to use the command line, which is pretty annoying. Anyway, in Windows 7, open the Network and Sharing Center and click on “Manage wireless networks”.
Now you will see a nice list of all the wireless networks your computer has ever connected to. Just double click on the one you are interested in.
Then just click the Security tab and check the Show Symbols checkbox again to see the password.
On Windows 8 and 10, you need to open Command Prompt by selecting Start and typing CMD. When Command Prompt opens, enter the following command:
netsh wlan show profiles
You will find all the wireless profiles in the user profile list. The name of the Wi-Fi network is on the right. In my case, only one Wi-Fi network is listed. Now, to see the password for the profile, enter the following command:
netsh wlan show profile name = profilename key = clear
Go ahead and replace the profile name with the actual Wi-Fi network name from the previous command. In my case, the WiFi network is called VFTJM. You don’t need to use quotes anywhere in your commands.
When you run the second command, you get a lot of results, but you are only interested in finding the string that starts with Key Content. On the right will be the WiFi password I’m not sure why Microsoft removed the ability to see all of your previously connected Wi-Fi networks in Windows 8 and 10, but luckily there is still a way to get all the information. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to comment. Enjoy!
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