TECH TIPS
How to Recover a WiFi
Password in Windows
Y
our devices might be able to remember your Wifi
password for you, but for a new device connection you will have to re-enter the password yourself. If you have been taking advantage of this auto-connection feature, then there is a chance you might have
forgotten your Wifi password. If this happened to you,
then you will be happy to know that you can recover
your Wifi password using your Windows PC. We have
recently show you how you can retrieve your WiFi password from your Android phone, so here is how you can
recover your Wifi password in Windows.
Find Wifi Password in Network Settings
When you connect your PC to a network, its password
is stored in the network settings of that particular network. To access your connections, press “Windows +
R” to open the “Run…” dialog, and enter ncpa.cpl in the
text field. Click “OK” and you will see all your network
connections.
Right-click on your network connection and select “Status” from the context menu.
In the window that opens, click on “Wireless Properties,”
and you will see “Network security key” under the “Security” tab. It will be hidden by default; you need to click
on “Show characters” below it to reveal the password.
Do remember to save this password somewhere safe;
maybe save it online or note it down on paper.
Use WirelessKeyView to Find Your Wifi Password
If for any reason the above method didn’t work for you,
then you can also find your Wifi password in the registry.
Like all other entries your Windows registry also saves
passwords of all the connections that you have connected to. You can recover the password of your network
as well as any other network that you have connected
to before. However, it is not that easy to find Wifi passwords in the registry, and it is also not recommended to
fiddle with the registry, as it can corrupt your Windows.
This is why we are going to use a third-party tool called
WirelessKeyView which will extract passwords from the
registry for you and show you in an easy-to-gulp interface.
Download WirelessKeyView from the official website
and extract the files (it will be in the ZIP format). When
you launch the .exe file, the program will automatically
scan your registry and extract all the connection names
and passwords for you. The password of your connection will be written next to your connection name under
the column “Key (Ascii).” You can also export all the
names and passwords to a text file to save it anywhere
you like.
Tip: If you are not already connected to the Internet, then
you can also use an ethernet cable to connect and then
download this utility tool. Otherwise, you can always
download it using another connection or device and
copy it in your PC.
Bonus Methods
There are also other ways to recover your Wifi password; it will be helpful to know these as well in case you
don’t have access to your PC or the above methods
didn’t work for you.
Written on your Wifi Modem: If you haven’t changed the
default Wifi password, then you may find it on the bottom
or back of your Wifi modem. Just check everywhere on
your Wifi modem, and you should be able to find it.
From the Router Settings: Your password is also saved
in your router’s settings, but your PC must be connected
to your Internet connection for this to work. Just access
your router’s settings using router IP address and look
for the option “Wifi settings” or “Wireless settings”. The
password will be located under these settings; you may
have to reveal the password though.
Reset Your Router: If everything fails, you can always
reset everything, and in the process reset your Wifi
password as well. This is not a recommended solution,
as you will lose all your settings, but it is there if required.
The reset button is located on your Wifi modem; it can
be prominent or in most cases hidden inside a hole. You
can use a paperclip to press the button.
Conclusion
There are many ways to find your Wifi password; you
can even use your Smartphone or Mac. However, the
above methods should be more than what you will need
to find your Wifi password. Do let us know if you managed to find your Wifi password or need any additional
help finding it.
45 | BOOM