Find WiFi Network Passwords Stored In Windows

Find Your WEP or WPA Wireless Network Password

When Windows XP or Vista connects to a wireless network it stores the WEP or WPA password in an encrypted form so that it can reconnect to that same network in the future without you having to enter your password again.

This means however that when you want to connect another PC, Mac, smartphone or other wireless device to the same network that you need to remember that password which is often long and not very memorable!

To find these passwords, I use a little piece of free software called WirelessKeyView (by NirSoft) which you can download at the bottom of this article.

WirelessKeyView displays all of the WEP or WPA keys stored on your Windows PC in a simple interface as shown and from here they can be copied to the clipboard or saved to a text file.

What’s Required?

For WirelessKeyView to work you need to be using either Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7 (advanced option required), be using Windows built in Wireless configuration known as ‘Wireless Zero Configuration’ and not third party wireless connection software sometimes used by computer and wireless card manufacturers.

Download Links

There are two possible downloads – 32 bit and 64 bit.

To find out which version of Windows you have, right click My Computer > click Properties and view the General page and look for x64 as shown here.  If you have x64, download the 64 bit version and if not then well it’s 32 bit.

 

WirelessKeyView Author

This super little utility is brought to you by NirSoft.