What was that password again?

October 24, 2007 5:02 PM

In Windows XP, is there a way to see the password that is stored in the system to log into a wireless network?

In OS X, this is easy – one just goes to Keychain Access, looks up the entry, and by entering an administrator password one can see the given password. Is there a way to do this in XP? I'm not a Windows person, so don't know where to look.

This is for a client for whom I set up a wireless network over a year ago. She created the password and it's stored in her system, as she connects fine to the network. She now wants to get another computer onto the network. I guess I need to start saving clients' passwords.

posted by al_fresco to computers & internet (6 comments total)

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/wireless_key.html
posted by queen zixi at 5:12 PM on October 24, 2007

Um, is there something stopping you from logging into the wireless access point that is providing the network and looking it up there?
posted by douglaswth at 5:12 PM on October 24, 2007

Why login to the access point, the utility posted by queen zixi is free?

On a more serious note, it is a good idea to log into the access point and make sure it has a reasonable password, there's a nasty redirect hack that only works if the access point has a default password and is locally at one of the usual places like 192.168.1.1. The access point will naturally tell you about the WPA or WEP key.

Oh, and did I mention that the access point is typically at a local address like 192.168.1.1 and has a full web interface so you can just browse to it? No need to ssh into it or anything like that. Just point a browser at it. (You may have to be physically connected, because wireless access into the internals may be disabled).
posted by TeatimeGrommit at 6:13 PM on October 24, 2007

Thanks so far. I tried to get them logged in to the router directly, but I believe we changed the password when we set up the network, which is good and bad, so no joy on that front yet. I'll have them try the utility and see if that gets them on to the network.

Thanks again!
posted by al_fresco at 6:24 PM on October 24, 2007

Why not solve the whole issue instead of just trying to get the computer on the network? If you can't get to the admin page of the router, thats going to be a problem in the future.

Just reset the router to its factory defaults and reconfigure everything. Have your client write down the wireless passphrase and stick it on the router.
posted by mphuie at 7:22 PM on October 24, 2007

Thanks again, folks.

Client found the password. Crisis averted.

I thought about talking them through resetting the router, but I didn't want to have to do it over the phone. They were in a hurry, and I really didn't want to have to go over there tonight.
posted by al_fresco at 11:50 PM on October 24, 2007