WirelessKeyView is a tool that can retrieve lost wireless (WEP/WPA) keys stored in your computer by Windows operating system.
In the following page, you can find answers to frequent questions that I receive regarding my WirelessKeyView utility.
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Q: My Antivirus detect that there is a Virus/Trojan inside WirelessKeyView. Is that true ?
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A: No, There is no any Virus/Trojan/Spyware in WirelessKeyView utility. The alert shown by your Antivirus software
is a "False Positive". You should ask your Antivirus company to fix the problem.
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Q: When I try to download WirelessKeyView utility, I get "The page cannot be displayed" error.
What is the problem ?
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A: You probably have Firewall that blocks you from downloading the file.
Try to check the settings of your Firewall, and configure it in a way that it'll allow you to download the file.
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Q: I run WirelessKeyView, and it gives me a very long WPA-PSK key under the 'Key (Hex)' column, which is not the
original key that I used. Can I retrieve the original Ascii key ?
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A: In Windows XP, after you type a WPA-PSK key, it automatically converted into a 256-bit key that is displayed by WirelessKeyView in 'Key (Hex)' column.
This new key cannot be converted back to the original key that you typed, but you can use this key to connect to the wireless network exactly like the original key.
In Windows Vista, the WPA-PSK key is not converted into another key, so you can retrieve the original key that you typed.
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Q: Can I use WirelessKeyView to crack the wireless key of my neighbor's network ?
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A: No. WirelessKeyView cannot crack the wireless key of other wireless networks. It can only retrieve a key
that is stored on your own computer, of a network that you already connected in the past. If you want to connect to your neighbor's network, simply ask them to give you their key...
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Q: What is the Registry location that Windows XP stores the wireless key ?
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A: The wireless keys are stored in the Registry under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WZCSVC\Parameters\Interfaces\[Interface Guid].
The [Interface Guid] is a unique GUID value the represents your wireless network card.
The keys are well-encrypted by Windows operating system, so you cannot watch them with RegEdit.
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Q: What is the Registry location that Windows Vista stores the wireless key ?
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A: Windows Vista doesn't store the wireless keys in Registry anymore. Instead, the keys are stored in the file system -
under c:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Wlansvc\Profiles\Interfaces\[Interface Guid].
The [Interface Guid] is a unique GUID value the represents your wireless network card.
The keys are stored and well-encrypted inside the .xml files that you can find in the above path.
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Q: I run WirelessKeyView and I get an empty window without any key. I'm 100% sure that there a wireless key
stored in my computer. What is the problem ?
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A: Some wireless card vendors use 3-party software to connect and manage the wireless connections, instead of
using the build-in wireless support that comes with Windows XP/Vista.
In these cases, the wireless keys are stored in other locations, and WirelessKeyView cannot retrieve them.
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Q: I have a Windows operating system that cannot boot anymore, but the files in the hard drive are still accessible.
Can I retrieve the wireless key that is stored in this machine ?
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A: Yes, but only if the dead machine is Windows XP.
To do that, simply run WirelessKeyView with /external parameter, for example:
WirelessKeyView.exe /external "c:\windows"
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