Once you’ve connected to a Wi-Fi, Windows automatically creates a network profile that stores the Wi-Fi’s SSID, password, encryption type, and connection preferences. This allows you to automatically connect to routers you’ve used before, providing screen-free and instant network access.
Consider a scenario where you accidentally wipe your device, including all the WiFi passwords in your system—your home, work, cafe, and other connections—all gone. In today’s time, where connectivity is next to a necessity, it’s crucial users back up their network profiles. In this guide, you’ll learn how to restore wireless network profiles in Windows 10, how to back them up, troubleshoot common Wi-Fi profile issues, and find solutions to FAQs.
How to back up or export WiFi profiles in Windows 10/11
Backing up wireless network profiles is a crucial step for faster uptime, especially when performing a clean install or migrating to another device. As the saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” and having exports of your WiFi profiles eliminates the need to hunt down old passwords and the hassle of starting from scratch.
Step 1: Launch the Command Prompt as Administrator
- Press Win + R to open Run, type cmd, and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter.
Step 2: View saved Wi-Fi profiles
- Inside Command Prompt (cmd), type netsh wlan show profiles. This command allows you to see the list of wireless network profiles in your system.
Step 3: Export a specific profile
- Input the command line: netsh wlan export profile name=”ProfileName” folder=”C:\Backup” key=clear.
- Replace ProfileName with the SSID of the profile you want to export (e.g., “NinjaOneWifi” or “Wifi12345”).
- Replace C:\Backup with your preferred backup folder path. This path will be the one you’ll input when restoring your Wi-Fi profile. (Tip: Create a backup folder first and copy its path for a faster process.)
- The command key=clear displays the profile’s password in plain text. This command is optional but helpful when recovering forgotten passwords.
Step 4: Repeat the export process for all profiles as needed
- Create and designate a folder for all the profiles you’ll export (e.g., C:\WiFi-Backup). Then, for all the profiles listed in Step 2, apply the export command outlined in Step 3.
How to restore wireless network profiles in Windows 10/11
In the event that all wireless network profiles in your device are deleted, provided you have already made a backup, restoring them is an easy task. You can use Command Prompt to restore a deleted network profile connection by following these steps:
Step 1: Open an elevated Command Prompt
- Launch Run by pressing Win + R, type cmd, then hit Ctrl + Shift + Enter.
Step 2: Import the profile
Input the following command line to restore a profile: netsh wlan add profile filename=”C:\Backup\ProfileName.xml”.
- Replace the file path C:\Backup\ProfileName.xml with the correct backup path.
- This path should reflect the path you chose when you made the backup.
- Enclosing a path in quotation marks is important when locating a file.
- Bonus tip: To quickly get a backup’s path, locate its .xml file, right-click, and press Copy as path.
- Change ProfileName with the designated name of your backup’s .xml file.
Step 3: Connect to the network
- As an optional step, you can quickly connect to the restored network by inputting the command line netsh wlan connect name=”ProfileName”.
- Similar to the previous step, ProfileName designates the WiFi’s SSID.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What are Windows wireless network profiles?
Windows creates a wireless network profile for every saved Wi-Fi network in your system. These profiles contain the network username, password, and connection mode, among other parameters of saved Wi-Fi networks, making it easy for devices to reconnect instantly when the network is in range.
Additionally, network profiles allow users to better manage their network key. They enable users to back up and restore saved passwords without having to write anything down, providing convenience and improving credential management habits.
Is the Wi-Fi password visible in the backup file?
If you want your Wi-Fi password to be visible when backing up your network profile settings, include key=clear at the end of the export command. Ultimately, your export command should look like this: netsh wlan export profile name=”ProfileName” folder=”C:\Backup” key=clear.
After backing up using the command above, your Wi-Fi password should be displayed in plain text when you open the backup’s XML file. Remember to replace ProfileName with the Wi-Fi SSID you’re trying to export and C:\Backup with your preferred backup folder path.
Can I back up profiles for hidden networks?
When you type and enter the command netsh wlan show profiles in an elevated cmd, it shows all Wi-Fi profiles you’re connected to, including hidden networks. Once you’ve identified the hidden network profile you want to back up, follow the steps for exporting Wi-Fi profiles in Windows 10.
Do I need admin rights when restoring Wi-Fi profiles in Windows?
Yes. You need an elevated command prompt to restore a network profile connection. Therefore, it’s advisable to ensure that you have the proper administrative privileges before backing up or restoring wireless network profiles.
Can I use this to share my Wi-Fi with another PC?
You can definitely share your Wi-Fi with another PC using the steps outlined in this guide. First, back up the desired Wi-Fi profile, then locate the created XML file and transfer it to another PC.
Once you successfully transfer the backup, import the Wi-Fi profile to your target PC. Keep in mind that the network must be within range when importing a profile to a new device for it to connect successfully.
Troubleshooting common issues with wireless network profiles
Access denied errors
To avoid access denied errors, ensure that you’re running an elevated Command Prompt. You can open Command Prompt as an administrator by pressing Win + X and choosing Command Prompt (Admin) from the pop-up menu.
You should also make sure the path to your backup folder is correct and the destination folder is accessible and writable. Follow these steps to verify if your backup folder is accessible and writable:
- Manually locate the backup folder using File Explorer (e.g., C:\Backup\Wi-Fi).
- Right-click the desired backup folder, then click Properties.
- Press the Security Tab, then click your account under Group or user names.
- Check the Permissions box below and verify if Write has a check under Allow.
- If there’s none, click Edit and check Write for your user account.
Profiles not restoring properly
If you’re encountering this error, double-check that the XML file that you’re trying to recover hasn’t been modified or corrupted during the transfer. For this, you can use W3Schools’ XML Validator to quickly verify the integrity of your XML file.
Moreover, for those recovering wireless network profiles using a new device, it’s important to check whether the receiving device uses the same wireless adapter or configuration as the one the backup came from. An adapter or configuration mismatch causes Wi-Fi profile recoveries to fail.
Learn how to restore wireless network profiles in Windows 10
Backing up Wi-Fi profiles helps you stay connected, even if you lose your network settings and saved networks. Furthermore, successfully exporting wireless network profiles makes it possible to retrieve them after performing system migrations and bare metal restores. It also allows users to apply the same connectivity settings across multiple devices.
Remember, adding the key=clear command when backing up Wi-Fi profiles will show your network security key in plain text. For better protection, it’s recommended that you store your XML files in a secured folder encrypted with EFS.
