How to Find Your Saved Wi-Fi Password on Windows 11 (Without Resetting)
If you’ve ever connected to a Wi-Fi network a while ago and then completely forgotten the password… you’re definitely not alone. It’s a common frustration since Windows 11 does a pretty good job of remembering your network details, but it doesn’t openly show your password unless you look a bit deeper. Honestly, I spent some time figuring out how to view those saved passwords without messing with the router or doing a reset.
Opening Command Prompt
The first step is to open the Command Prompt. It’s not exactly hidden, but if you’re new to it, it might seem a bit fiddly. Just press the Windows key or click the Start menu, then type CMD or Command Prompt. When it appears, hit Enter. For best results—and to avoid permission issues—you should right-click on it and select Run as administrator. Especially if you want to see all your saved Wi-Fi passwords, admin rights are necessary because some info is restricted for security. It’s a bit of a hassle, but worth it for the full picture.
Viewing All Wi-Fi Profiles
Once the Command Prompt is open, type:
netsh wlan show profiles
and press Enter. This command will list all the Wi-Fi networks your computer has connected to and stored for quick access. The list can look a bit overwhelming—lots of network names (SSIDs)—but those are your saved profiles. If your network isn’t appearing, check whether you’re running the Command Prompt as an administrator, or whether the profile doesn’t include the password info (which is rare). Also, make sure you’re not logged in with a restricted user account that blocks some details.
Getting the Password for a Specific Network
Pick the network you want to see the password for. For example, if it’s called MyHomeWiFi, enter this command:
netsh wlan show profile name="MyHomeWiFi" key=clear
Replace "MyHomeWiFi" with your actual network name (SSID). Sometimes, I found I had to be precise with the spelling and spacing, including capitals. A good tip is to copy and paste the network name from the previous list to avoid typos. If the network name contains spaces, remember to keep it in quotes, like "Coffee Shop WiFi".
After running the command, scroll through the output (or press Ctrl + F) to find “Key Content”. That line shows your password in plain text. It’s buried among the technical details, but it’s definitely there. Once you see it, you’ve got your password — no need to reset or fiddle with the router. If it’s not showing up, double-check that you typed the network name exactly as it appears, included the quotes when needed, and that you ran Command Prompt with admin privileges.
Repeating for Multiple Networks
If you connect to several Wi-Fi networks—like work, home, or favourite cafes—you’ll need to run this command for each profile separately. It might feel a bit like cracking a code, but Windows keeps all this info stored safely. Just copy and paste, or retype for each network, and you’ll have your passwords handy (or at least on your notes). I started jotting them down, but copying into a Notepad or quick text file makes it simpler to keep track of everything securely.
Why Does This Method Work?
Windows automatically saves these passwords to make reconnecting easier later, but they don’t show up openly in the network settings interface. Instead, they’re hidden away in system data, accessible through the command line with the right commands. Hats off to Microsoft for making it possible to view them without hacking into the router or doing resets. I get it—some might think hiding passwords is for security, but for folks like us who forget, this is a real lifesaver.
Extra Tips
Make sure you run Command Prompt as an administrator: type cmd, right-click the icon, then select Run as administrator. If you don’t, you might not get the password info. Also, these commands generally work in Windows 11 and Windows 10—the interface might vary a bit, but commands stay the same. If the password still isn’t showing up, it could be a permissions issue, profile restrictions, or network policies (especially at work). Restarting your network adapter with commands like netsh interface set interface "Wi-Fi" disable, then enable, can help retrieve the info more reliably, especially on older models.
One more handy tip: you can save the output directly to a file for easy reference. Like this:
netsh wlan show profile name="YourNetwork" key=clear > C:\Users\YourName\Desktop\WiFiPasswords.txt
Then open that file to see your passwords neatly listed—no more scrolling through the command window!
I hope this helps — took me quite a bit of trial and error to get it right. Remember, the “Key Content” line is your goldmine. Be cautious with the commands, and delete any saved files if they contain sensitive info. Good luck! And I’d recommend double-checking your network names and running as administrator. It’s a bit clunky, but definitely better than resetting the router or calling support. When it all clicked for me, I thought: “Why didn’t I do this first?”
Hopefully, this saves someone else a lot of hassle. Happy searching, and stay safe online!