This happens to me often, especially when I'm visiting relatives'
houses: My computer knows the Wi-Fi password from when I last connected
to the network -- two years ago -- but I've completely forgotten it,
though my mother is about 65 percent sure she wrote it down on a Post-it
note seven months ago.
A forgotten Wi-Fi password isn't a problem
for me and my omniscient laptop, but it is a problem for, say, my
brother, who needs the password if he wants to jump on the network with
his Japanese iPhone. My mom is hunting for the Post-it, but prospects
are lookin' bleak.
Luckily, there's an easy way to reverse-lookup
your Wi-Fi password on a computer that already technically knows it.
Here's how to find saved network passwords in Windows 8.1:
Step 1: Make
sure you're connected to your Wi-Fi network. If you're not connected,
open the Charms bar by swiping in from the right side of the screen, or
by moving your mouse into the upper right corner of the screen, and
click Settings. Tap or click the network icon, find your network and
click Connect.
Your PC should connect to your Wi-Fi network automatically, with the saved (but forgotten) password.
Step 2: From the desktop, open the Charms bar, click
Settings and then open the
Control Panel.
Step 3: Under
Network and Internet, click
View network status and tasks.
Step 4: Next to the word
Connections, you should see a Wi-Fi icon and the name of your Wi-Fi network. Click your Wi-Fi network and a
Wi-Fi Status window will pop up. Click
Wireless Properties.
Step 5: A new window will pop up. Tap or click the
Security tab and you will see your Network security key displayed as a series of black dots. Check the box next to
Show characters and
voila -- there's your Wi-Fi password!