Using Credential Manager on Windows: Ultimate guide

To use Credential Manager on Windows, type credential manager in the taskbar search box, open it, and pick Web Credentials or Windows Credentials to view, add or remove saved sign-ins.

This guide covers every way to open it, adding and deleting credentials, the cmdkey command, PowerShell options, what you can and cannot read back, security, and fixes for repeated password prompts.

How to open Credential Manager on Windows

Credential Manager is an item in the Windows Control Panel on both Windows 11 and Windows 10. Search is the quickest way in.

1. Select the search box on the taskbar, or press Win + S.
2. Type credential manager.
3. Select Credential Manager (Control Panel) in the results.
4. Select Web Credentials for sign-ins saved by supported browsers and apps, or Windows Credentials for network, server and app sign-ins.
5. Select the arrow next to an entry to expand it and see its details.

Each Windows user account has its own set of saved credentials. Signing in as someone else shows a different list.

Before you start, sign in to the Windows account that saved the credentials. There are no other prerequisites: Credential Manager is built in, and a standard account can manage its own entries.

Ways to open Credential Manager in Windows 11 and Windows 10

All of these routes open the same Control Panel window. Pick the one that fits where you already are.

Where you are	What to do	Lands on
Desktop or Start menu	Search for credential manager and select the result	Credential Manager home
Control Panel already open	Type credential manager in the Control Panel search box and select it	Credential Manager home
Run box (Win + R)	Type control /name Microsoft.CredentialManager and press Enter	Credential Manager home
Run box, straight to Windows sign-ins	Type control /name Microsoft.CredentialManager /page ?SelectedVault=CredmanVault	Windows Credentials tab
Command Prompt or PowerShell	Run the same control /name Microsoft.CredentialManager command	Credential Manager home
Scripting or remote session	Run cmdkey /list instead of opening the window	Text list of stored credentials

The control /name form uses the canonical name Microsoft documents for Control Panel items, so it works on any display language.

What is Windows Credential Manager?

Credential Manager stores user names and passwords for other computers, websites and apps in the Windows Vault. When a supported app connects again, Windows supplies the saved credential automatically.

Item	Detail
Introduced	Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2; still in Windows 10 and Windows 11
Windows credentials	Sign-ins for network shares, servers, Remote Desktop and similar connections
Certificate-based credentials	Credentials tied to a certificate or smart card
Generic credentials	User names and passwords that apps save for their own use, such as Office or Git
Web credentials	Sign-ins saved by supported browsers and apps through the Credential Manager APIs
Where they are stored	Encrypted folders under the signed-in user's profile
Who can see them	Only that Windows user; each account has its own list
Background service	Credential Manager service (VaultSvc), startup type Manual

If a saved credential stops working and you enter a new one that succeeds, Credential Manager overwrites the old entry with the new one.

View passwords in Credential Manager in Windows 11 and 10

Viewing saved passwords in Windows starts with a review of what Credential Manager holds. Each tab lists a different kind of saved sign-in.

1. Open Credential Manager from the taskbar search box or Control Panel.
2. Choose Web Credentials to review saved web credentials from supported browsers and apps.
3. Select the arrow next to an entry to expand it and read its details.
4. Choose Windows Credentials to review saved Windows credentials for servers, shares and apps.
5. Check the Windows Credentials, Certificate-Based Credentials and Generic Credentials groups, and note the Modified date on each entry.
6. Write down any entry you no longer recognise so you can remove it afterwards.

Windows credential passwords are never displayed after they are stored, so a forgotten one has to be reset at its source rather than read back from this window.

Add a Windows credential in Credential Manager

Adding a credential by hand helps when a network share, print server or NAS keeps rejecting you. Windows then presents the stored user name and password every time it connects to that name.

1. Open Credential Manager.
2. Select Windows Credentials.
3. Select Add a Windows credential.
4. Enter the computer or server name exactly as you connect to it, such as server01 or nas.local.
5. Enter the User name and Password that the server accepts.
6. Select OK.

Use the same name form you type in File Explorer. A credential saved for a short name is not used when you connect by IP address or a full domain name.

How to clear credential manager entries in Windows 11

Removing a stale entry is the standard fix when an app or network drive keeps asking for a password. There is no single button to clear everything, so remove entries one at a time.

1. Open Credential Manager.
2. Select Windows Credentials or Web Credentials, depending on where the entry is listed.
3. Find the entry under Windows Credentials, Certificate-Based Credentials or Generic Credentials.
4. Select the drop-down arrow next to the entry.
5. Select Remove, then confirm.
6. Repeat for each unwanted entry, then sign in to the app or share again to save a fresh credential.

To clear many entries faster, list them with cmdkey /list and delete each target with cmdkey /delete, as shown in the next section.

Manage user credentials on Windows with CMD

The built-in cmdkey command creates, lists and deletes stored credentials without opening the window. It works in Command Prompt and in PowerShell on Windows 11 and Windows 10.

1. Open Command Prompt from the Start menu. A standard window is enough for your own credentials.
2. Run cmdkey /list to show every stored credential. Note the Target name of the one you need.
3. Run cmdkey /list:server01 to show only the credentials for one target.
4. Run cmdkey /add:server01 /user:mikedan to store a Windows credential. Windows asks for the password, which keeps it out of your command history.
5. Run cmdkey /generic:server01 /user:mikedan to store a generic credential instead.
6. Run cmdkey /delete:server01 to remove the credential for that target.
7. Run cmdkey /delete /ras to remove the stored remote access credential.

You can add /pass:<password> to store the password in one line, but it then appears on screen and in scripts. Add /smartcard instead of /user to take the credential from a smart card.

cmdkey switches at a glance

Switch	What it does
/list or /list:<target>	Shows all stored credentials, or only those for one target
/add:<target>	Adds a Windows credential for a computer or domain name
/generic:<target>	Adds a generic credential
/user:<username>	User name to store; asked for if left out
/pass:<password>	Password to store; asked for if left out and never shown after saving
/smartcard	Reads the credential from a smart card and asks which card if several are found
/delete:<target>	Deletes the credential for that target
/delete /ras	Deletes the stored remote access credential
/?	Shows help at the prompt

Accessing Windows Credential Manager from PowerShell

Windows PowerShell has no built-in cmdlet for Credential Manager. Native commands run in PowerShell unchanged, so cmdkey and control cover most jobs.

1. Right-click Start and select Terminal or Windows PowerShell.
2. Run cmdkey /list to read the stored targets and user names.
3. Run cmdkey /add:server01 /user:mikedan to save a Windows credential, and type the password when asked.
4. Run cmdkey /delete:server01 to remove it again.
5. Run control /name Microsoft.CredentialManager to open the graphical window from the same prompt.
6. For scripts that need secrets, install Microsoft's SecretManagement and SecretStore modules from the PowerShell Gallery and keep the secret in a SecretStore vault instead of plain text.

Community vault extensions, including one named CredMan, connect SecretManagement to other stores. Microsoft lists them but does not develop them, so review any such module before you trust it with passwords.

How to extract saved passwords from Windows Credential Manager

Credential Manager is built to supply saved passwords to apps, not to hand them back to people. What you can recover depends on the credential type.

Credential type	Can you read the password back?	What to do instead
Windows credentials	No. cmdkey never displays a password after it is stored	Reset the password on the server or account, then save the new one
Domain credentials on a PC with Credential Guard	No. Apps that try to extract Windows credentials fail	Reset the password through your organisation
Generic credentials saved by apps	Not from Credential Manager or cmdkey	Use the app's own account or password settings
Passwords saved in a browser	Managed by the browser's own password manager	Open the browser's password settings to find passwords stored on the PC
Git and other developer tokens	Tokens, not passwords; reading them does not reveal your account password	Revoke the token at the service and sign in again

Tools that dump these secrets work by attacking the Windows Vault, which is the same technique malware uses. Credential Guard, on by default for domain-joined Windows 11 22H2 PCs that meet the requirements, blocks that for domain credentials.

Check a saved credential in Credential Manager

Confirm the entry exists and that Windows actually uses it.

1. Run cmdkey /list:server01 and confirm a line shows the target and the expected User name.
2. Open Credential Manager > Windows Credentials and expand the same entry to compare the details.
3. Test the affected app or connection by opening the share, server or app the credential is for.
4. If you connect without a password prompt, the stored credential is working. A new prompt means the name or password does not match.

Is Windows Credential Manager secure?

Saved credentials are encrypted and tied to your Windows account, but the level of protection differs by type.

Question	Answer
Are the files encrypted?	Yes. They sit in encrypted folders under your user profile
Can other users on the PC see them?	No. Each Windows account has its own credentials
Does Credential Guard protect them?	Domain credentials stored in Credential Manager, yes; generic credentials, no, because apps need the clear-text password
What happens if the TPM is cleared on a Credential Guard PC?	Saved Windows credentials can no longer be decrypted and are deleted; apps ask for them again
Can I back them up?	Yes, but Windows credentials backed up from a PC with Credential Guard on cannot be restored, so back up before you turn it on
Who can use them?	Anyone signed in to your Windows account, so lock the PC and use a strong sign-in

Diagnose saved and active SMB credentials in Windows

A network share involves two lists: the credentials saved in Credential Manager and the SMB connections open right now. Most share sign-in problems come from a mismatch between them.

1. Open Command Prompt and run cmdkey /list to see the saved credential for each server name.
2. Run net use to list the computer's current network connections.
3. Isolate stale entries and conflicting sessions by comparing the two lists: look for a saved entry under one name, such as nas.local, while the open connection uses another, such as an IP address.
4. Remove one entry at a time with cmdkey /delete:nas.local, leaving the credentials that still work.
5. Cancel the open connection with net use \\nas.local\share /delete, or run net use * /delete to cancel every network connection.
6. Reconnect in File Explorer with the same server name you saved, and enter the correct user name and password when asked.

Prevent credential and server-name mismatches by using one name form everywhere: the drive mapping, the saved credential and any script should all use the same short name, full name or IP address.

Separate credential problems from device drops: if the share is unreachable for every account, the NAS or server has dropped off the network, and no credential change will fix it until the device is back online.

Credential Manager not working: fixes by symptom

These troubleshooting tips are grouped by symptom. Match what you see to the closest one and follow its fix.

Credential Manager will not open or shows an error

The Credential Manager service (VaultSvc) is stopped or stuck.

1. Press Win + R, type services.msc and press Enter.
2. Find Credential Manager in the list.
3. Right-click it and select Start, or Restart if it is already running.
4. Open Credential Manager again.

An app or Office keeps asking for your password

A stale entry for that app sits under Windows Credentials or Generic Credentials.

1. Close the app.
2. Open Credential Manager > Windows Credentials.
3. Expand each entry that names the app, such as Office, and select Remove.
4. Reopen the app and sign in once to save a fresh credential.

Network printer fails with error 0x0000052e

The credential on the PC does not match the one the print server expects.

1. Open Credential Manager > Windows Credentials.
2. Select Add a Windows credential.
3. Enter the print server name and a user name and password the server trusts.
4. Select OK and add the printer again.

Remote Desktop says "Logon attempt failed" with a saved credential

Credential Guard blocks saved Windows credentials from being sent to a remote host.

1. Clear the saved password for that connection in Credential Manager > Windows Credentials.
2. Connect again and type the password when Remote Desktop asks.
3. Ask your IT admin which saved sign-in method the organisation supports if you connect often.

You removed a credential, but the password still appears

Another copy is saved elsewhere, most often in the browser's own password manager, which Credential Manager does not control.

1. Check both Web Credentials and Windows Credentials for a second entry with the same name, and remove it.
2. Run cmdkey /list and delete any remaining entry for that target with cmdkey /delete.
3. Open the browser's password settings and delete the password saved there.

You cannot remove a work or school credential

The PC or account is managed by an organisation, and some sign-in options are controlled or disabled by its IT admin.

1. Select Start > Settings > Accounts > Access work or school.
2. Check whether the PC is connected to a work or school organisation.
3. If it is, ask your IT admin to remove or reset the credential rather than deleting it yourself.

The Windows Services console also shows a service's startup type and its dependencies if Credential Manager keeps stopping.

Best practices for saved credentials in Credential Manager

These habits keep the saved list short and current. Review them whenever sign-in prompts start repeating.

Practice	Why it helps
Remove entries for servers and apps you no longer use	Fewer stale entries means fewer old passwords offered to the wrong connection
Save each credential under the exact name you connect with	A credential saved for a short name is not used for an IP address or full domain name
Let cmdkey ask for the password instead of using /pass	The password then stays off the screen and out of scripts
Keep script secrets in a SecretStore vault	Microsoft's SecretManagement modules avoid plain-text passwords in scripts
Back up credentials before Credential Guard is turned on	Windows credentials backed up with Credential Guard on cannot be restored
Lock the PC when you step away	Anyone signed in to your Windows account can use your saved credentials
Reset a forgotten password at its source	Credential Manager does not display saved Windows credential passwords

Windows Credential Manager FAQ

What is Credential Manager in Windows 11?

Credential Manager is a Control Panel tool in Windows 11 that stores user names and passwords for websites, apps, servers and network shares in the Windows Vault. Windows supplies them automatically when those resources ask you to sign in, and you can view or delete them.

Where is Credential Manager in Windows 11?

It is in Control Panel. Type credential manager in the taskbar search box and select the result, or press Win + R and run control /name Microsoft.CredentialManager. The same steps work on Windows 10.

Where is Credential Manager in Control Panel?

Open Control Panel and type credential manager in its search box, or browse the full list of items. Credential Manager is a standard Control Panel item on Windows 11 and Windows 10 and opens the same window as taskbar search.

How do I open Credential Manager from CMD or Run?

Type control /name Microsoft.CredentialManager in Command Prompt or the Run box and press Enter. To list credentials as text without opening the window, run cmdkey /list instead.

How do I clear Windows Credential Manager?

Open Credential Manager, select Windows Credentials or Web Credentials, expand each entry and select Remove. There is no clear-all button. From Command Prompt, run cmdkey /delete:<target> for each target that cmdkey /list shows.

Where are Credential Manager passwords stored?

Windows stores them in encrypted folders under the signed-in user's profile, inside what Microsoft calls the Windows Vault. They are not plain-text files, and only that Windows user's sign-in can unlock them.

Is Credential Manager user specific?

Yes. Each Windows user account has its own credentials, stored under that user's profile. Another account on the same PC sees a different, separate list and cannot read your saved passwords through Credential Manager.

Is Windows Credential Manager secure?

It is reasonably secure for everyday use: credentials are encrypted and tied to your account, and Credential Guard protects domain credentials on supported PCs. Generic credentials are less protected, and anyone signed in as you can use them, so lock your PC.

What is Git Credential Manager?

Git Credential Manager is a helper included with the Git for Windows installer. It handles sign-in to services such as Azure Repos and GitHub, including multifactor authentication, then caches a token so Git stops asking for credentials until the token expires.

Is Git Credential Manager safe?

Git Credential Manager is an official option for Azure Repos and GitHub sign-in, and it supports multifactor authentication. It stores a token rather than your password, and you can revoke that token from the service at any time if a PC is lost.

What about passkeys: does Credential Manager store them?

Passkeys saved to Windows are managed in Settings > Accounts > Passkeys, where you can view them and select Delete passkey. Passkeys kept in Microsoft Password Manager or another provider are managed in that provider instead.

Why does Credential Manager not show the password?

Windows credentials are never displayed after they are saved, as Microsoft's cmdkey documentation states. If you have forgotten a password, reset it on the server or account, then save the new one in Credential Manager.

Bottom line on using Credential Manager

Use Credential Manager to remove stale sign-ins and add network credentials, and use cmdkey when you need the same job in a script or remote session. Most repeated password prompts on Windows come from an outdated saved entry, and removing it fixes the problem in under a minute. Treat saved passwords as unreadable: reset a forgotten one at its source instead of trying to pull it back out.