On Windows 10 and Windows 11, the Credential Manager is a built-in tool that stores login credentials for websites, applications, and network resources. For instance, if you log into a network drive or remote desktop and select the “Remember” checkbox, Windows uses the Credential Manager to save your login details. This feature allows you to view your saved passwords in Credential Manager whenever needed, which can be particularly helpful if you forget your password or want to ensure your stored passwords are up-to-date. In this tutorial, I will guide you step-by-step through opening and viewing your passwords in Credential Manager on both Windows 10 and Windows 11. Let’s get started.
Before You Start
- You need administrator rights to open and view passwords in Credential Manager.
View Passwords in Credential Manager in Windows 11 & 10
- Press the Start button on your keyboard.
- Search and open Credential Manager.
- Select the Web Credential or Windows Credentials option.
- Click the Password you want to view.
- Click the Show option next to Password.
- Type the Password or PIN when prompted and press Enter.
- You will immediately see the saved password in Credential Manager.
- Close the Credential Manager window.
Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)
First, press the Start button to open the Start menu. In the Start menu’s search bar, type Credential Manager and click on it to open.
Once the Credential Manager window opens, you will see two tabs: Web Credentials and Windows Credentials.
- Web Credentials: This tab stores login information for websites and applications that use web-based login methods, such as Spotify or other online services.
- Windows Credentials: This tab stores login information for network resources, such as network shares, remote desktop connections, and various Windows services and applications.
Depending on what you want to manage, click on either Web Credentials or Windows Credentials to view, add, edit, or remove your stored credentials.
Click on the credential you want to see and then click the Show option next to the “Password” field to view the saved password. Type your account password or PIN to authenticate.
To modify the password, click the Edit option. Alternatively, click Remove to remove a password from Credential Manager.
Important note: You will not see the Show option for some credentials, especially those that are encrypted or related to Windows Credentials. In such cases, the only available options are Edit and Remove.
That’s it. Once you know the password, simply close the Credential Manager window to exit.
Wrapping Up — Windows Credential Manager
As you can see, viewing your saved passwords in Credential Manager is easier than you might think, thanks to this built-in tool. Keep in mind that some passwords, especially those that are encrypted or required by Windows, will not have the Show option. In such cases, you can only Edit or Remove them. Also, even if you are able to see the password, most application passwords, are encrypted. That mean, you will see an encrypted version of the password instead of the actual password itself.
If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to comment below. I’ll be happy to help.
