Lost WiFi password? No problem!

in windows •  7 years ago 

Estimated reading time: 1 minute, 31 seconds. Contains 304 words

We've all been there. We've written down the Wi-Fi password a while a go and we've got a new device. We go to look for the written password and BOOM! The thing ain't there! Well, fear not! There may be a way to get your password back without too much hassle.

Before we start, there are a few prerequisites:
  • You must have logged into the Wi-Fi at least once
  • You also must have done so on a Windows PC (7 or above)
  • You must have administrative access on said PC
So, now that's out-of-the-way, let's start!

STEP 1: Command Prompt

This part is fairly simple. All you have to do is start command prompt in admin. Press Start and find command prompt. You can search for it by typing CMD into the Start Search Bar. It'll be the first on. Right click it and you will be given this menu:

GreenShotCapture-2017-06-08 13_25_58-

Click a "GreenShotCapture-2017-06-08 13_28_02- Run as administrator" and then click "Yes". You should then be faced with this:

GreenShotCapture-2017-06-08 13_31_07-Administrator_ Command Prompt

Great! You're ready for...

STEP 2: Locating your Wi-Fi

Now, type in this command: netsh wlan show profile. You'll be given a list of networks you have connected to in the past (for privacy reasons all the SSIDs have been censored. Our one is the blue one):

GreenShotCapture-2017-06-08 13_35_35-Administrator_ Command Prompt

Now that you know the name of your network's SSID, you can now proceed to...

STEP 3: Recovering your password

Now, for the reveal. Type this command into the line: netsh wlan show profile "SSID" key=clear. Replace SSID with the name of your network and you'll receive a list like this:

[caption width="598" id="attachment_1259" align="aligncenter"]GreenShotCapture-2017-06-08 13_42_38-Administrator_ Command Prompt Blue= Our SSID. Green = Potentially Sensitive Information. Red = Our password![/caption]

And then that's it! You now have the password that you need. You can now log into the network and be happy! Hope this helps!


Today's word was:

GreenShotCapture-2017-06-08 13_22_11-prerequisite - Google Search

Authors get paid when people like you upvote their post.
If you enjoyed what you read here, create your account today and start earning FREE STEEM!