Want to backup or move to another browser or password manager? Here is a simple way to export all saved passwords in Internet Explorer.
The Internet Explorer has its own built-in password manager to save all your web passwords. Every time you type a password on a website, Internet Explorer will try to save it automatically with your permission. In fact, it uses the Windows Credential Manager to store the saved passwords in a secure environment. If you want to, you can also view saved passwords in Internet Explorer.
If you want to create a quick backup of saved passwords or to move to a dedicated password manager like Bitwarden or LastPass, you need to export passwords from Internet Explorer. However, unlike the most modern browsers, Internet Explorer links your passwords with your Windows user account. So, the exporting process is a bit different and involved.
In this quick and short Windows 10 guide, let me show you a simple way to backup or export saved passwords in the Internet Explorer browser.
Export saved passwords in Internet Explorer
To export saved passwords from Internet Explorer, we are going to use a free tool called VaultPasswordView. It is a simple tool that can show all the saved passwords linked to a Windows user account. So, download VaultPasswordView and continue with the steps below.
- Open the VaultPasswordView zip file.
- Extract its contents to a folder on the desktop.
- Double-click on the “VaultPasswordView.exe” file.
- Select the “Decrypt vault files of the current user” option from the top dropdown menu.
- Click “Ok.”
- Click “Yes” in the UAC prompt.
- You will see all saved passwords in the main window.
- Select all passwords with the “Ctrl + A” shortcut.
- Click “File -> Save selected items.”
- Select a folder where you want to save the export file.
- Name the file.
- Select “comma delimited text file (.csv)” as “Save as type.”
- Click “Save.”
- With that, you’ve exported saved passwords in Internet Explorer.
First, open the downloaded zip and extract its contents to a new folder on the desktop. After that, open the folder and double-click on the “VaultPasswordView.exe” file to open the application.
Now, select the “Decrypt vault files of the current user – Requires to run as administrator (Elevation)” option from the first dropdown menu and click the “Ok” button.
Click “Yes” in the UAC (User Access Control) prompt.
As soon as you do that, the app will decrypt the vault and shows all the saved passwords. Select any one of the passwords and press “Ctrl + A” to select all of them.
Next, click “File” and then the “Save Selected Items” option. This is the option that lets you export saved passwords from Internet Explorer.
Now go to where you want to save the file, name the file and select “comma delimited text file (.csv)” as the “Save Type.” Click on the “Save” button. The reason for choosing the CSV format is that it is compatible with most major browsers and password managers.
As soon as you click the Save button, the export file is saved to the destination. You can open the CSV file with Excel or use it to import passwords in another password manager or browser.
That is all. It is that simple to export saved passwords in Internet Explorer.
I hope that helps. If you are stuck or need some help, comment below and I will try to help as much as possible.
