Windows stores passwords in our account

There is really no need to save Wi-Fi passwords when you plan to format your hard disk or change your computer. With the release of Windows 8, Microsoft began to implement the integration of the operating system with the user account. In this way, Microsoft wanted to make it easier to interact with devices in the future. The main advantage of this change is with respect to the Microsoft Store. Thanks to this integration, we could access a list of applications that we had previously downloaded. In fact, these had already been associated with our account.

Subsequently, Microsoft also started to associate the hardware of the device with the license. In this way, we could only use the corresponding license on a single device. That is, we could not use it on different computers together. As Windows evolves, Microsoft has been introducing a series of hidden improvements. One of them is being able to store in the Microsoft cloud a copy of all the Wi-Fi networks we have connected to in the past. It is enough to associate a Windows installation to our account. No matter if it is a new computer or a formatted one. As a result, the list with all the access points and the passwords for each of them will be automatically downloaded. Therefore, it will not be necessary to enter the access data again.

Is there anything else we should do?

Remember that this process is done automatically when you enter the data. So there is really no need for any further action on our part. In the same way, the new access points to which we connect are automatically synchronized. Therefore, if we delete any of them, they will also be automatically deleted from the Microsoft servers. This also happens on all computers that are managed by the same Microsoft account, even if they are different computers.

How to know the password of a Wi-Fi network

Windows provides a couple of methods to learn stored Wi-Fi passwords.

From settings

From Windows Settings, we will only be able to know the password of the currently connected network. In fact, there is no option to know the password of all the access points we have stored on our computer. To obtain the password of the Wi-Fi network in which we are, we access the Windows configuration options by pressing Win+I.

Once there, we entered Network & Internet. Within this section, click on Wi-Fi. Then, in the right column, click on Network and Sharing Center.

Next, the Windows Control Panel will be displayed. Specifically, in the section corresponding to the networks. In this section, click on the name of the connection to access its properties.

Then, a new window will be displayed. There we will see the operation, connection type, speed, and duration of the Wi-Fi connection in which we are. In this window, click on Wireless Properties.

Next, we click on the Security tab and check the box Show characters. At that moment, Windows will ask us for the security method that we use in our account to be able to show it. If we do not know it, Windows will not show us the password of the network to which the equipment is connected.

A network, with or without internet access, is the only method of sharing files and resources between devices. Any person who has access to the network has access to all that content. For this simple reason, Windows will ask for the PIN of the user account in which we are. Otherwise, we will be able to use the command prompt or the PowerShell, as we will see next.

Using Command Prompt

If you do not have access credentials to the computer, then you can resort to the command prompt. In addition, this option allows us to know the password of all the access points registered on the computer. Remember that this possibility is not available from the Windows graphical interface. The first thing you have to do is to go to the command prompt. With this in mind, enter the term CMD in the Windows search button. Please remember to open it with administrator privileges. Next, we use the following command to list all the Wi-Fi networks to which we have connected with the computer and with that user account.

netsh wlan show profile

Next, we must select the name of the Wi-Fi connection for which we want to know the password. Then please use the following command. Please replace wifiname with the name of the access point. The Wi-Fi network code will be displayed under Key content.

Netsh wlan show profile name="wifiname" key=clear

We must carry out this process individually. In other words, we cannot create a list of all the passwords of the access points to which we have connected. In fact, we will have to do it one by one. Very well, in this way we have seen how to back up Wi-Fi passwords on Windows. Bye!

The post How to back up Wi-Fi passwords on Windows 10. appeared first on Linux Windows and android Tutorials.

Windows offer nice tricks to see the saved password of the connected Wi-Fi access point. Here’s how you have to do it.

How to see Wi-Fi Password(s)

We’ll be using command lines to see the password. This method works on all the Windows editions. However, it’s not tested on Windows XP.

• Start an elevated Command Prompt.
• Run this command:

netsh wlan show profiles

You’ll see all the available wireless profiles listed under the “User Profiles” section. The name of the network will be on the right side of the section. Pick up the desired network name.

• Now, run this command:

netsh wlan show profile name=<profile_name> key=clear

Exchange the place of <profile_name> with your desired network’s name.

This command will show up a lot of things. But we only need the password, right? Scroll down and find out “Key Content” under “Security settings” section.

The “Key Content” is the saved password of the Wi-Fi network.

This is a very simple trick, right? If you’re afraid of running commands, then follow this step-by-step, lengthy process.

• Connect to your desired network.
• Go to Control Panel >> Network and Internet >> Network and Sharing Center.

• Click your network from the list of active networks. In my case, it’s “TP-LINK_8D72”.
• Click “Wireless properties”.

• From the new dialog box, go to “Security” tab.
• Check “Show characters”.

You can easily see the password written there.

The post How to View Saved Wi-Fi Passwords on Windows appeared first on Linux Windows and android Tutorials.