Windows: how to delete all stored Wi-Fi profiles

For troubleshooting, it can be helpful to delete all saved Wi-Fi profiles from Windows. Find out how to do this here.

remove all Wi-Fi networks using netsh

To display or delete WLAN networks using the “netsh” command, press [Windows] and [R] simultaneously on your keyboard. A “Run” window opens at the bottom left. Type in cmd here.

To show all Wi-Fi networks stored on your computer, type the following string into cmd and confirm by pressing [Enter]:

netsh wlan show profiles

To delete a single profile, use the following command:
(Replace the xxx with the exact name of the stored Wi-Fi profile)

netsh wlan delete profile name="xxx"

To delete all Wi-Fi networks, use the following command:
Caution! As soon as you execute this command, all previously saved Wi-Fi profiles will be removed. To reconnect to a previously saved Wi-Fi network, you need to enter the password again.

netsh wlan delete profile name=*

This command does not affect the profiles of wired networks. It also does not remove Wi-Fi profiles that are enforced by group policies. The latter does not usually affect home users, but may be of interest for managed devices.

Where does Windows store Wi-Fi profiles?

Like so much other important data, Windows stores Wi-Fi profiles in the registry.

You can check if all Wi-Fi networks have been deleted by looking the registry.

To do so, press [Windows] and [R] to open the “Run” window.
In this window, type in regedit and confirm by pressing [Enter].
Then navigate to the following path: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\NetworkList\Profiles

Here you can see all saved Wi-Fi profiles. In the screenshot below, you can see the entries framed in blue. If you want to know which hive belongs to which Wi-Fi network, just click on the corresponding entry. Next to the entry “ProfileName” you will find the name – or the SSID – of every Wi-Fi network.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Posts
weiterlesen

iPhone: Last Line No Longer Available

Especially after switching SIM or providers, some iPhone users are confronted with the message "Last line no longer available". How to get rid of the error when starting a call, you can find out here.
weiterlesen

How to download Office without a Microsoft account

If you did not buy MS Office directly from Microsoft, but want to purchase a product key from a third party vendor, you often have to look for a reputable download source yourself. Here you can find the download links directly from Microsoft.