4 Ways to Forget Saved Wifi Networks in Windows 10

Forgetting Wi Fi Network Credentials in Windows 10Forgetting Wi Fi Network Credentials in Windows 10

Nowadays, most of us use‌ ‌Wi-Fi‌ ‌technology‌ ‌to‌ ‌connect‌ ‌our‌ ‌ devices‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌internet. When Windows 10 devices are connected via Wi-Fi, they store the Wi-Fi network name (SSID), password, and encryption type to enable them to reconnect when required without having to enter the same information every time.

Occasionally, travelers may encounter two Wi-Fi networks that have the same SSID and their computer would have difficulty connecting. The authentication failed as a different password has already been set for this name.

cant connect

Although you can recover the wifi passwords saved on your computer, they can’t be modified. You will need to “forget” your saved Wi-Fi network(s) and then reconnect. This article discusses four ways through which you can forget a single or all Wi-Fi connections saved on‌ ‌a‌ ‌device.

How to forget Wi-Fi network in Windows 10

Forget Wi-Fi network in Windows 10 using System Tray

This is possibly the quickest and easiest way to forget the Wi-Fi network on your device. However, this method is only feasible if you want to remove one network at a time. To remove all networks at the same time, continue reading the article.

  1. Click on the Wi-Fi icon in the system tray in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
    system tray
  2. Now right-click the network you want to remove and click Forget.
    forget
Enable Copilot AutoStart in Windows...
Enable Copilot AutoStart in Windows 11

You will now notice that the network will immediately be removed and your system will not try to automatically connect to it. However, remember that this does not mean that your computer will stop discovering it at all.

Forget Wi-Fi network in Windows 10 using Settings app

The Settings application is a great utility that allows you to manage and configure your PC as per your desire. Let us also use it to forget saved Wi-Fi networks.

  1. Navigate to the following:
    Start Menu -> Settings -> Network & Internet -> Wi-Fi
  2. Now click Manage known networks on the right.
    manage known networks
  3. In this window, click on the network you want to remove, and then click Forget.
    forget 2

As you will see, the saved network will vanish immediately and the credentials will no longer exist on your computer.

Forget Wi-Fi network in Windows 10 using command line (Command Prompt & PowerShell)

You can also remove a Wi-Fi network profile from your PC using the command line. It is quick and easy to list all of the saved Wi-Fi networks and then remove the selected one. Both Command Prompt and Windows PowerShell can be used to complete the task as the commands used are the same and compatible with both.

  1. Open Command Prompt or Windows PowerShell with administrative privileges.
  2. Enter the following command to view your saved Wi-Fi profiles:
    netsh wlan show profiles
    cmd show profiles
  3. Now that you know the exact name of the profile you want to remove, use the following command to do so:
    netsh wlan delete profile name="<em>ProfileName</em>"
    Replace ProfileName with the precise name of the Wi-Fi profile you want to remove, as in the example below
    cmd delete

You have now successfully removed the credentials of a Wi-Fi network from your computer. Remember that the same commands can also be used when using Windows PowerShell.

Forget all Wi-Fi networks in Windows 10 using command line (Command Prompt & PowerShell)

If you feel like you have many Wi-Fi credentials saved on your PC unnecessarily and do not connect to them that frequently, you can remove all of them in an instant, altogether. Use the command given below in either Command Prompt or PowerShell to do so. Remember to launch them with administrative privileges.

netsh wlan delete profile name=* i=*
cmd delete all

The asterisks in the command mean “all,” hence removing all profile names and their information from your computer. You will now need to provide your credentials again when connecting to Wi-Fi. This will now create new profiles on your PC.

How to connect to Wi-Fi network in Windows 10

In case you had previously removed a Wi-Fi profile from your computer, you will now need to connect to it as the computer will require the correct credentials in order to do so. Make sure you have the correct password before connecting to a Wi-Fi network. Remember that these passwords are case-sensitive.

  1. The easiest way to connect to a discoverable Wi-Fi network is through the System Tray. Click on the Wi-Fi network icon in the tray to expand the discovered Wi-Fi networks. Note that the icon can be either one of the following depending upon its current state: Disconnected (left) or connected (right).
    wifi icons 1
  2. Now click on the Wi-Fi network you wish to connect to, check the box next to Connect automatically if you wish to, and then click Connect.
    connect
  3. You will now need to enter the password to connect to the network if it is secure. Enter your password in the text field and click Next.
    next
  4. You will now be asked whether you wish for your computer to be discoverable while connected to this network. Select an option of your choosing.
    yes no

Your PC will now verify the information with the Wi-Fi router and connect. This information will now be saved as a separate network profile.

Closing words

Most people rarely modify their SSIDs, leaving the default settings as provided by the Internet service provider‌ ‌(ISP). This results in the same SSIDs being discovered in different parts of the neighborhood, however,‌ ‌with‌ ‌ different‌ ‌passwords. Thus, you might encounter the prompt that the network could not be connected.

You may even be able to connect to a Wi-Fi network automatically because it has the same SSID and‌ ‌password‌ ‌that‌ ‌was‌ ‌already‌ ‌saved‌ ‌on‌ ‌your‌ ‌ computer. We strongly advise users to change their Wi-Fi password so someone else won’t be able to access it.

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Subhan Zafar is an established IT professional with interests in Windows and Server infrastructure testing and research, and is currently working with Itechtics as a research consultant. He has studied Electrical Engineering and is also certified by Huawei (HCNA & HCNP Routing and Switching).

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