Today, I'll show you how to recover lost WiFi passwords. There's a program which will recover lost passwords of your WiFi. (Normally, it will recover saved passwords!)
Description
WirelessKeyView recovers all wireless network security keys/passwords
(WEP/WPA) stored in your computer by the
'Wireless Zero Configuration' service of Windows XP or by the 'WLAN
AutoConfig' service of Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows
Server 2008.
It allows you to easily save all keys to text/html/xml file, or copy a
single key to the clipboard.
You can also export your wireless keys into a file and import these keys
into another computer.
System Requirement
- Windows XP with SP1 or greater.
- You must login to windows with admin user.
Using WirelessKeyView
WirelessKeyView doesn't require any installation process or additional DLL files.
Just copy the executable file (WirelessKeyView.exe) to any folder you like, and run it.
After you run it, the main window should displayed all WEP/WPA keys
stored in your computer by Windows 'Wireless Zero Configuration'
service.
For WEP keys, the key is also displayed in Ascii form.
Be aware that this utility can only reveal the network keys stored by
Windows operating system.
It cannot recover network keys stored by any other third-party software.
Notice About WPA-PSK Keys
When you type a WPA-PSK key in Windows XP, the characters that you type
are automatically converted into a
new binary key that contains 32 bytes (64 Hexadecimal digits). This
binary key cannot instantly be converted back to the
original key that you typed, but you can still use it for connecting the
wireless network exactly like the original key.
In this case, WirelessKeyView displays this binary key in the Hex key
column, but it doesn't display the original key that you typed.
As opposed to Windows XP, Windows Vista doesn't convert the WPA-PSK Key that you type into a new binary key,
but it simply keep the original key that you type. So under Windows Vista, the original WPA-PSK key that you typed is
displayed in the Ascii key column.
Registry/File Location of The Stored Keys
Windows XP and Windows Vista stores the wireless keys in completely different locations:
- Windows XP: The wireless keys are stored in the Registry under
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WZCSVC\Parameters\Interfaces\[Interface
Guid].
- Windows Vista: The wireless keys are stored in the file system,
under c:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Wlansvc\Profiles\Interfaces\[Interface
Guid].
The encrypted keys are stored in .xml file.
Deleting Wireless Keys Of Old Network Adapters
Starting from version 1.15 of WirelessKeyView, you can delete wireless keys/passwords of old network adapters that are
no longer plugged to your computer, by using the 'Delete Selected Items' option.
Be aware that this delete option only works for network adapters that are not active anymore.
If your network adapter is active, use the standard user interface of Windows to delete the unwanted keys.
Export And Import Wireless Keys
Starting from version 1.50, you can select one or more wireless keys, export them into a text file by using the
'Export Selected Items' under the File menu, and then import these keys into another computer by using the
'Import Keys From Export File' option.
Before you start using this feature, you should be aware that there are some problems/limitations:
- The import feature only works on Windows XP with Service Pack 3 or
later, including Windows 7, Windows 2008, and Windows Vista.
You cannot use the import feature on Windows XP with Service Pack 1 or
Service Pack 2.
As opposed to the import feature, the export feature works on any
system, including Windows XP with Service Pack 1 or Service Pack 2.
- The import feature on Windows XP/SP3 is very slow, and WirelessKeyView may temporary hang during the import process.
- The wireless keys stored inside the export file are not
encrypted, so if you're concerned about the security of your network,
you should keep this file in a place where unauthorized users cannot
read it, or simply delete it after the import process is finished.
- The import feature only works with a text file created with the 'Export Selected Items' option.
You cannot use the import feature with the files created by the 'Save Selected Items' option.
- Your wireless network adapter must be active when using the import feature. If you have a USB wireless adapter,
you must plug it before you start the import process.
- If you have multiple wireless network adapters, a separated key entry will be added for each adapter.
Attention! False Alert Problems: Some Antivirus programs detect WirelessKeyView utility as infected with Trojan/Virus. This software is free from any kind of malwares.
The utilities "Recover stored/lost passwords" are for password recovery and educational purposes only.
They are not intended to be used for illegal purposes.
