Forgetting the password to your WiFi network can be frustrating, especially if you need to connect a new device or share your network with someone else. Fortunately, if you have a Windows 10 device connected to the network, you can easily view the WiFi password via command prompt. In this article, we will show you how to do this step-by-step.
Step 1: Open Command Prompt or PowerShell
To get started, you’ll need to open Command Prompt or PowerShell. You can do this by pressing the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box, typing “cmd” or “PowerShell” (without quotes), and then pressing Enter. Alternatively, you can also search for “Command Prompt” in the Windows search bar and click on the app when it appears.
Step 2: Run the Command
Once you have Command Prompt or PowerShell open, type the following command: “netsh wlan show profile” (without quotes) and press Enter. This will show you a list of all the WiFi networks that your Windows 10 device has connected to in the past.
Step 3: Select the WiFi Network
Next, you need to select the WiFi network that you want to view the password for. To do this, type the following command: “netsh wlan show profile <network name> key=clear” (without quotes), replacing “<network name>” with the name of the WiFi network you want to view the password for, and then press Enter.
Step 4: View the Password
After running the command, you will see a lot of information about the selected network. Look for the “Key Content” field in the output, which will display the WiFi password in plain text.
Note: If you see “Key Content” field as “Absent” or “Not present”, it indicates that you do not have administrator access to view the password. But in general, as per my test it does not require elevated rights to view the password.
That’s it! You have now successfully viewed the WiFi password via command on your Windows 10 device.
Viewing your WiFi password via command on a Windows 10 device is a quick and easy process that can save you a lot of frustration. By following above steps outlined in this article, you can easily view the password for any WiFi network that your device has connected to in the past. This also works on devices installed with Windows 11 without admin rights.
