How to retrieve saved VPN password on Windows 10

Windows 10 doesn't let you see a saved password for a VPN connection, but you can still retrieve it using these steps.

Windows 10 VPN password recovery
Windows 10 VPN password recovery

Windows 10 comes with its own VPN client, which you can configure to quickly and securely access a private network over the internet.

The only caveat is that once you save the settings, it’s not possible to retrieve the password if you forgot it and you need this information to set up a new connection on another device. However, you can use third-party tools, such as Dialupass, to quickly recover the saved password for all virtual private network (VPN) connections.

In this guide, you’ll learn the steps to retrieve a saved password for a VPN connection on Windows 10.

How to recover VPN connection password on Windows 10

To retrieve the password of a VPN connection configured on Windows 10, use these steps:

Important: Although Dialupass works as advertised, it’s still a third-party tool that is offered “AS-IS” without any warranty, and you should only use it at your own risk. The author of the app also warns that some antivirus may detect it as malicious, but it’s a false-positive alert.
  1. Open Nirsoft website.

  2. Scroll down to the “Feedback” section and click the Download Dialupass link.

    Download VPN password recovery tool
    Download VPN password recovery tool
  3. Save the zip file on your device.

  4. Double-click the dialupass.zip file.

  5. Click the Extract all button from the “Compressed Folder Tools” tab.

    Unzip dialupass files
    Unzip dialupass files
  6. (Optional) Specify a location to extract the files.

  7. Check the Show extracted files when complete option.

    Show extracted files on Windows 10
    Show extracted files on Windows 10
  8. Click the Extract button.

  9. Double-click the dialupass.exe file.

  10. Confirm the passwords for your VPN connections.

    VPN password recovery
    VPN password recovery

Once you complete the steps, the passwords for all the VPN connections as well as other settings will be displayed.

You can now copy and store the passwords in a secure place.

We’re focusing this guide on Windows 10, but the tool should also work on older versions, including Windows 8.1 and Windows 7.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.