Backup & Restore Your Wi-Fi Passwords

By default all operating systems, including Linux, save passwords of previously connected Wi-Fi access points. There are ways to export these saved passwords to be used in other computers. Third party software like LastPass and WirelessKeyView can save your saved passwords, and import them to other computers. Mac users can use LastPass and 1Password to save their passwords, including Wi-Fi passwords.

Windows 7

Windows 7 by default saves the password that you enter while connecting to internet through Wi-Fi. Saved passwords can be backed up in a USB drive, but the only drawback is that passwords have to be exported one at a time for each Wi-Fi network. To save a Wi-Fi key/password, click on thewireless network symbol on the taskbar and click the Open Network and Sharing Center. In the Network Sharing Center window, click on Manage Wireless Network and you will see all your wireless networks listed in the Manage Wireless network window. Double click on the network that you want to export, and you will be taken to the properties page; in the properties page, select the option Copy this network profile to a USB flash drive. Follow the setting wizard instructions and you are good to go. The USB drive will have the setupSNK.exe file and a SMRTNTKY folder.

Use the USB drive to import the settings to different computers having Windows software (XP, Vista, 7).
To import the settings insert the USB device in your computer and run the setupSNK.exe file. On clicking the setupSNK.exe file, you will be prompted by a message window. Click yes to download the settings on to your computer.

LastPass

LastPass is utility software that manages passwords, be it for websites or Wi-Fi networks. Best part of LastPass is that it installs on to the browser as an extension. It has a feature to export and import Wi-Fi passwords; this feature is only available in version 1.9 or higher. You may need to run the Universal Installer to download this feature. When encountered with an error simple follow on screen instructions to run the Universal Installer. Passwords are saved into the LastPass Vault, which is sync with your computer.

Open your web browser and click the LastPass button. Select tools and go to Import From. Then click Wi- Fi Passwords and click Import in the new tab to save the saved Wi-Fi settings from your computer. You can use the check boxes to select networks that you want to import. Log on to LastPass from a different computer and select Export To (below Import From) and then Wi-Fi Passwords to download the settings on to your computer.

1Password

Similar to LastPass, 1Password is a password manager that saves and generates passwords. It’s available for Windows, Mac, Ipad and Android. Mac users have the option to use either Wi-Fi or Dropbox to sync their data with 1Password manager. Windows users just need to use Dropbox to sync all their data.
 

Ipad users can use the option Backup & Restore to backup their data. To do so, open 1Password and select Settings> Data> Backup & Restore. Remember that both your computer and IOS should be on the same Wi-Fi network to perform this process. Apple doesn’t allow third party apps to sync via USB drive.

WirelessKeyView

This software recovers all the stored wireless network keys/passwords in your computer. You can save the information in text/html/xml file. Best thing about this software is that it’s a freeware, unlike LastPass and 1Password. Be sure to download the latest version to get all the options. This software only works on Windows machine, starting from Windows XP.

Download the software from Nirsoft’s website and double click the .exe file. On start up, the program will show all saved wireless passwords in a list form. You can save the network that you want to export in to a text file by selecting Save Selected Items from file menu.

All above software products provide a myriad of features; however, WirelessKeyView only provides basic features like converting information regarding wireless network settings into text files. LastPass is the most versatile in respect to platform, because any operating system that can run Mozilla Firefox web browser can use LastPass; the software just installs an extension for the browser and supports Internet Explorer, Chrome and Firefox. Windows 7 user can rejoice as it has the option to export wireless network information on USB drive, and they don’t need to download anything extra for exporting Wi-Fi
passwords.