How To Locate Saved Passwords on Windows 10 Using CMD: A Complete Guide

If you’ve ever needed to retrieve your Wi-Fi passwords on Windows 10, you might have felt like you’re cracking a secret code. No worries, it’s actually kinda straightforward, but you do need to run some commands in Command Prompt. Just a heads up — you’ll want to run it as an administrator because, of course, Windows has to make it harder than necessary. And if the network wasn’t saved properly or you’re not connected to the Wi-Fi anymore, this won’t work, so keep that in mind. Basically, this method reveals passwords stored on your PC for networks you’ve connected to before, which can be handy if you’ve lost your notes or forgot to share the password with someone. Not super complicated, but it’s good to know what commands to run and where to look for your password info in the output.

How to Find Stored Wi-Fi Passwords in Windows 10 Using CMD

Here’s a quick walkthrough on uncovering those Wi-Fi passwords. This method is useful if you need to reconnect a device, share your Wi-Fi, or just wanna see what you’ve previously saved. Just follow this carefully, and expect the password to show up as “Key Content” in the results. Sometimes, it feels like Windows just hides this stuff on purpose, but with these commands, it’s kind of a cheat sheet to what’s stored behind the scenes.

Open Command Prompt as an Administrator

Right-click the Start button and select Command Prompt (Admin) or Windows Terminal (Admin).
This step ensures you have elevated permissions, because the info you’re trying to access is kinda sensitive. On some setups, if you don’t run as admin, the commands won’t show the passwords.

On many machines, the first time you try this, it might throw a permission error. Just reopen it as admin, or sometimes you need to run PowerShell instead, but both work fine as long as they’re elevated.

View All Saved Wi-Fi Profiles

Type netsh wlan show profiles and hit Enter.
This gives a list of all Wi-Fi profiles stored on your system. Each profile is basically a saved network, even if you’ve forgotten the password. If you don’t see your network, it might’ve never been saved, or it’s deleted now.

Select a Network and Get its Details

Pick the network name (the profile) you want. Make sure to note the full name, especially if there are similar ones.
Type netsh wlan show profile name="NetworkName" key=clear and replace “NetworkName” with the actual SSID. Make sure to keep the quotes if your network has spaces.
Hit Enter. This command will spit out a bunch of info about that network, including security type, authentication, and most importantly, the password.

Find the Password in the Results

Scroll through the output until you see Key Content.
This line shows the Wi-Fi password — if it’s there. Sometimes, if the password was never saved or if Windows is acting weird, the Key Content part might be missing.
It’s like digging in your config files but within the command output. Not always perfect, but most of the time, it works like a charm.

Keep in mind, because this involves sensitive info, don’t share these passwords carelessly. Also, on some systems, this command fails if the profile isn’t there or if the password was never stored in the first place. A bit frustrating, but hey, that’s Windows security at work.

Tips for Finding Stored Passwords on Windows 10 Using CMD

Always run the command prompt as admin — no exceptions. It’s the difference between seeing the password and hitting a wall.
If your network name is long or complicated, copy and paste it from the list to avoid typos.
Make sure your PC is connected to the network or at least has the profile stored. Otherwise, it won’t show the password.
Don’t go sharing your Wi-Fi passwords with sketchy people or on shady websites. Just because you can see it doesn’t mean you should.
Use these commands responsibly — it’s a handy cheat sheet, but not meant for hacking or sneaky stuff.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I find passwords for other network types or only Wi-Fi?

This method only works for Wi-Fi profiles because it’s how Windows stores wireless network info. Other passwords (like saved login info for apps) are hidden elsewhere, usually in the Credential Manager, and require different steps.

Is it safe to run these commands?

Generally, yep. If you’re on your own PC and kept it locked, no probs. Just remember, don’t run unknown scripts or commands from shady sources, and stick to your own network.

What does ‘Key Content’ actually mean?

This is just the line in the command output showing the actual saved password for the Wi-Fi network. Kinda like the password in a password manager, but for your network profile.

Why doesn’t ‘Key Content’ show up sometimes?

If it’s not there, it could mean Windows never saved the password or that the profile isn’t accessible anymore. Double-check the profile name, or try reconnecting to the network and saving it again.

Do I need to be online to get the password?

Nope. If Windows stored the password previously, you can retrieve it anytime, even offline. But you need to be connected at least once, so Windows has that info cached.

Summary

Open Command Prompt as admin.
Check what Wi-Fi profiles are stored using netsh wlan show profiles.
Pick your network and run netsh wlan show profile name="NetworkName" key=clear.
Look for ‘Key Content’ — that’s your password.

Wrap-up

Figuring out how to see your Wi-Fi passwords with CMD can save the day when you’ve misplaced that little bit of info. It’s kind of weird that Windows keeps it so hidden, but these commands do the trick. Just use it responsibly, and it should help you reconnect or share passwords in a pinch. On one of my setups, it failed the first time, then mysteriously worked after a reboot, so sometimes you need to try again. Fingers crossed, this helps someone save a headache or two. Good luck!