It’s a long story, but … is there a way to get the Wi-Fi password for a network I was connected to at one time, but am not connected to right now?
Actually, yes there is.
Unless you explicitly tell it to forget, Windows will carefully remember all the passwords for all the wireless networks you’ve connected to in the past.1
The only “trick” is that we’ll be using Command Prompt to get Windows to show us that password.
Command Prompt (Admin)
Our work starts by running Command Prompt with Administrator privileges.
In Windows 10, that means right-clicking on the Start button and clicking on Command Prompt (Admin).
In other versions of Windows, you can locate Command Prompt in the Start menu, usually in All Programs, and then click on “Run as Administrator”.
Netsh
The program we’ll use is “netsh” – short for Network Shell. It’s a multi-purpose program that performs a number of network-related tasks.
Type the following command into Command Prompt (followed by Enter):
netsh wlan show profile
This lists all the wireless profiles Windows has remembered, with their network name, or SSID. Use that to identify which network you’re interested in.
For my example, I’ll use the network with the SSID “askleo.com/hotspot”2, but you would use the SSID for which you want to retrieve the password.
Type the following into Command Prompt:
netsh wlan show profile "askleo.com/hotspot" key=clear
This will display a lot of information about that specific wireless connection.
Underneath “Security settings”, listed as the “Key Content”, will be the Wi-Fi password you’re looking for.
Download (right-click, Save-As) (Duration: 3:21 — 3.1MB)
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSS
Richard Hill
Cool. The command prompt type is small for these old eyes. Tried ctrl up arrow and control scroll with mousewheel. Is it adjustable?
Leo
Yes, but it’s not as simple as it is in a windows program. You’d need to go into the command prompt’s system menu (the menu at the top left icon), properties, and select a larger font.
Jez Feldmesser
Wow, I learned something that’ll reduce my eyestrain!
Thanks!
Loretta McGinn
Once again you’ve proven why you da man! Wonderfully helpful article. Thanks a million.
Paul Schmidt
I was told that the “Wireless Autoconfig Service” (wlansvc) is not running. So, I didn’t get the SSID display.
Alain
Same here, but I know why : I’ve explicitly disabled that service as my computer don’t have any wireless capability, connect via ethernet cable only.
Services can have 3 states : Automatic, manual and disabled.
Automatic will start as Windows start.
Manual will start only if needed by some process.
Disabled will never start.
If the service is set to automatic but stopped, or manual, the command should start it, so, it must be set as disabled.
As the service is not running, it can’t return any information, it also can’t store any information. It also mean that you just can’t connect wirelessly automatically. You need to enter the password each time you want to connect.
Wilbert L Everhart
Failed to get screen shot, but there was no password / content on either my main network nor my extender. ??
Graham Pye
In Windows 7 (well it works for me…) even if you’re not connected to a particular network you can go to “Manage wireless networks” from Network and Sharing Center, right click properties on one of your saved networks and then click the Security tab. Tick the “Show characters” box and there’s the password. You probably need to be in an admin account, or have run that application with admin privs turned on, but all of that seems a bit easier than the Command prompt stuff.
Maybe that method has been removed in Windows 8 and 10?
Graham
Claude Kerno
It is still in Windows 8 and 10 when you are connected to a wireless network, but I have not found it when not connected. Many ways to get there but I use: Windows key + X, Network Connections, Right-click your wireless connection, Status, Wireless Properties, Security tab, check the box “Show characters”.
Tony
Claude,
This works for only the one you”re connected to. Leo’s command prompt method will bring up a list of all you connected to before. I was just able to check my Work password although I’m on my Home network at the moment.
Mike
Following the instructions using Windows 10 ends up showing a Security Key line, but no Key Content line immediately below it as appears in your explanation. I do have a wireless password, but evidently it does not appear as you have described.
Mark Jacobs (Team Leo)
It’s funny. I one school where I teach, the students aren’t given the password to the WiFi, the secretary logs in for them on their computers the first time and the passwords are saved. Moral dilemma: should I teach them this? 😉
Yes, I already did.
Julio Bosch
I have tried this procedure and I am amazed because although I never took my laptop out of my house it has produced a list with passwords of pretty distant wireless networks, that I only have in my mobile and that I have never manually introduced in my laptop. Although my laptop has not listed all of the passports included in my mobile, am I to assume that my mobile is “leaking” information to my laptop?
Bill Ross
I have read all the above but found no help. I am trying to open up my wifi connection. I know the Hub , it’s BTHub3-M9G4 but I,m nt sure of the password. How canI get it
Leo
You have to have connected once in order to “recover” the password – which is what this article is about.
There’s no way to know the password of a wireless hotspot – that’s kinda the point of the security of it all. You’ll either need to contact whomever set it up, or configure the hotspot yourself with a password you select.