PCMag reviews products, but we may earn affiliate commissions from buying links on this page. Chances are you have a Wi-Fi network at home, or live close to one (or more) that tantalizingly pops up in a list whenever you boot up the laptop. The problem is, if there's a lock next to the network name (AKA the SSID, or service set identifier), that indicates security is activated. Without the password or passphrase, you're not going to get access to that network, or the sweet, sweet internet that goes with it. Netsh wlan show profile The results will bring up a section called User Profiles—those are all the Wi-Fi networks (aka WLANs, or wireless local area networks) you've accessed and saved.

To unlock your Wi-Fi Internet signal, change the Wi-Fi security setting in the configuration utility. Navigate to your wireless router's configuration utility address in a browser. Type in the username and password when prompted; the main menu will appear momentarily.

Pick the one you want to get the password for, highlight it, and copy it. At the prompt below, type the following, but replace the Xs with the network name you copied; you only need the quotation marks if the network name has spaces in it. Netsh wlan show profile name='XXXXXXXX' key=clear In the new data that comes up, look under Security Settings for the line 'Key Content.' The word displayed is the Wi-Fi password/key you are missing. On macOS, open up the Spotlight search (Cmd+Space) and type terminal to get the Mac equivalent of a command prompt. Type the following, replacing the Xs with the network name.

Security find-generic-password -wa XXXXX Reset the Router Before you do a full reset just to get on the wireless, try to first. From there, you can easily reset your Wi-Fi password/key if you've forgotten it. That's not possible if you don't know the password for the router, either. (They're not the same thing unless you set it up that way). Resetting the router only works if you have access.

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That access could be over Wi-Fi (which we've just established you don't have) or physically utilizing an Ethernet cable. Or that access can simply be that you are in the same room as the router. Almost every router in existence has a recessed reset button. Push it with a pen or unfolded paperclip, hold it for about 10 seconds, and the router will reset to the factory settings. If you've got a router that came from your internet service provider (ISP), check the stickers on the unit before a reset—the ISP might have printed the router and Wi-Fi key right on the hardware. Once a router is reset, you need another password (plus a username) to access the router itself.