Win 7+ Reveals WiFi Password After Entry?

Is it true that with Win 7, and maybe 8, you can see in clear a WiFi password entered earlier? I know you can get it to 'show characters' during entry but once it has been entered and accepted, isn't this option greyed out? I know on XP & Vista it is.

Is this right? When visiting someone elses WiFi, who allows you to connect by themselves typing their own password into your PC, shouldn't they expect you to just connect but not see their password subsequently?

You mean the Network Security Key? Yes.

There's a how-to article here http://www.microsoft.com/surface/en-gb/support/netwo...

Edited by deleted (Sun 28-Jul-13 07:11:56)

But surely if you already have access to the computer then there is no real need to hide any password.

I'm not sure you understood my point.

It's not my PC. I grant its owner permission to connect to my network by entering my password into his computer, but hidden from him. I don't expect him to be able to see my password subsequently or at all; just to be able to auto connect subsequently.

As far as I can see that's how it was on XP & Vista. Why the change?

EDIT: I believe also that is how it is on many mobiles.

Edited by XRaySpeX (Sun 28-Jul-13 13:33:42)

It is handy to have the hidden feature like you get in XP but ultimately WPA-PSK is not designed with this type of security you are looking for. Even if the password was not retrieved someone determined would be able to find it out. The recommendation would be to use 802.1x.

Interesting that that 'Find your password on a Windows PC' article does not say how to do it on XP or Vista, confirming my experience that you can't (at least not in that simplistic way).

Yes, I realise that the more determined can find any password stored on a PC, just don't think it should be so casually available at a glance.

I am really questioning the change from Vista to W7.

For 802.1X you need a friendly RADIUS server which I don't have.

Edited by XRaySpeX (Sun 28-Jul-13 15:20:38)

Not really, after all the subject says "Win7+" not "Win7-".