Additionally, you may want to backup all the saved Wi-Fi profiles with their passwords by exporting the configuration to XML files.<\/p>\n
Backup Wi-Fi Profiles by exporting them to XML files<\/h2>\n\n- Create a folder where you want to save your Wi-Fi profiles.<\/li>\n
- Open the folder.<\/li>\n
- In the Explorer address bar, type
cmd.exe<\/code> and press Enter<\/kbd> to open a Command Prompt window.<\/li>\n- In the console window, type the following and press Enter<\/kbd>:\n
netsh wlan export profile<\/pre>\nThe passphrase or the Pre-Shared Key (PSK) is encrypted in the XML file. If you need to export the profile with the passphrase in plain text<\/a>\u00a0you’ll use the following command:<\/p>\nnetsh wlan export profile key=clear<\/pre>\n![\"backup](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/wifi-export-netsh-2.png\")
<\/div>\n
You should see the following output — telling you that the export was successful, for each Wi-Fi profile.<\/p>\n
Interface profile \"XT1068 4219\" is saved in file \".\\Wi-Fi-XT1068 4219.xml\" successfully.\r\n\r\nInterface profile \"Ramesh\" is saved in file \".\\Wi-Fi-Ramesh.xml\" successfully.\r\n\r\nInterface profile \"HUAWEI-E8221-a974\" is saved in file \".\\Wi-Fi-HUAWEI-E8221-a974.xml\" successfully.<\/pre>\n![\"backup](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/wifi-profiles-export-1.gif\")
<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
The files are created in the same directory where you’re currently in. The XML files contain information about the Wi-Fi profiles, such as the SSID, Security and Encryption type, passphrase, auto-connect preference, MAC address randomization choice, etc.<\/p>\n
Netsh Command-line help – “Export” parameter<\/h3>\nnetsh wlan export profile \/?<\/strong>\r\n\r\nUsage: export profile [name=] [folder=] [[interface=]] [key=]\r\n\r\nParameters:\r\n\r\n Tag Value\r\n name - Name of the profile to export.\r\n folder - Name of the folder in which the profile XML files\r\n will be saved.\r\n interface - Name of the interface which has this profile configured.\r\n key - To display the key in plain text, set key=clear.\r\n\r\nRemarks:\r\n\r\n Saves the selected profiles into XML files in the specified folder.\r\n For each exported profile, the output file will be named as\r\n \"Interface Name-Profile Name.xml\".\r\n\r\n Parameters folder, name and interface are all optional. If profile\r\n name is given then the specified profile will be saved. Otherwise\r\n profiles on any interface will be saved.\r\n\r\n If the folder parameter is provided it must specify an existing folder\r\n accessible from the local computer. It can either be an absolute path,\r\n or a relative path to the current working directory. In addition, \".\"\r\n refers to the current working directory, and \"..\" refers to the parent\r\n directory of the current working directory. The folder name cannot be\r\n a UNC (Universal Naming Convention) path. By default profiles will be\r\n saved in the current working directory.\r\n\r\n If interface name is given, only the specified profile on the given\r\n interface will be saved. Otherwise all profiles with the given name\r\n on the system will be saved.\r\n\r\n If a key in plain text is required and the caller is local administrator,\r\n output XML file will include the key in plain text.\r\n Otherwise, the output XML file will include encrypted key.\r\n\r\nExamples:\r\n\r\n export profile name=\"profile 1\" folder=c:\\profiles\r\n interface=\"Wireless Network Connection\"\r\n export profile name=\"profile 2\" folder=.\r\n export profile name=\"profile 3\" folder=. key=clear\r\n<\/pre>\nAs you can see above, you can export individual Wi-Fi profiles by specifying their name and the interface (if there are multiple Wi-Fi interfaces in the system). Also, you can mention the output folder path.<\/p>\n
The Name, Interface, and Folder parameters are optional, though. If those parameters aren’t specified, by default, all Wi-Fi profiles are exported to the current folder location.<\/p>\n
Quick Tip:<\/strong> You can view the list of Wi-Fi interfaces and connections by running the command: \"netsh wlan show profiles\"<\/code>.<\/p>\n![\"wi-fi](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/wifi-priority-netsh-1-1.png\")
<\/p>\n
Import Wi-Fi Profile from an XML file<\/h2>\n
cmd.exe<\/code> and press Enter<\/kbd> to open a Command Prompt window.<\/li>\n- In the console window, type the following and press Enter<\/kbd>:\n
netsh wlan export profile<\/pre>\nThe passphrase or the Pre-Shared Key (PSK) is encrypted in the XML file. If you need to export the profile with the passphrase in plain text<\/a>\u00a0you’ll use the following command:<\/p>\nnetsh wlan export profile key=clear<\/pre>\n<\/div>\n
You should see the following output — telling you that the export was successful, for each Wi-Fi profile.<\/p>\n
Interface profile \"XT1068 4219\" is saved in file \".\\Wi-Fi-XT1068 4219.xml\" successfully.\r\n\r\nInterface profile \"Ramesh\" is saved in file \".\\Wi-Fi-Ramesh.xml\" successfully.\r\n\r\nInterface profile \"HUAWEI-E8221-a974\" is saved in file \".\\Wi-Fi-HUAWEI-E8221-a974.xml\" successfully.<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
The files are created in the same directory where you’re currently in. The XML files contain information about the Wi-Fi profiles, such as the SSID, Security and Encryption type, passphrase, auto-connect preference, MAC address randomization choice, etc.<\/p>\n
Netsh Command-line help – “Export” parameter<\/h3>\nnetsh wlan export profile \/?<\/strong>\r\n\r\nUsage: export profile [name=] [folder=] [[interface=]] [key=]\r\n\r\nParameters:\r\n\r\n Tag Value\r\n name - Name of the profile to export.\r\n folder - Name of the folder in which the profile XML files\r\n will be saved.\r\n interface - Name of the interface which has this profile configured.\r\n key - To display the key in plain text, set key=clear.\r\n\r\nRemarks:\r\n\r\n Saves the selected profiles into XML files in the specified folder.\r\n For each exported profile, the output file will be named as\r\n \"Interface Name-Profile Name.xml\".\r\n\r\n Parameters folder, name and interface are all optional. If profile\r\n name is given then the specified profile will be saved. Otherwise\r\n profiles on any interface will be saved.\r\n\r\n If the folder parameter is provided it must specify an existing folder\r\n accessible from the local computer. It can either be an absolute path,\r\n or a relative path to the current working directory. In addition, \".\"\r\n refers to the current working directory, and \"..\" refers to the parent\r\n directory of the current working directory. The folder name cannot be\r\n a UNC (Universal Naming Convention) path. By default profiles will be\r\n saved in the current working directory.\r\n\r\n If interface name is given, only the specified profile on the given\r\n interface will be saved. Otherwise all profiles with the given name\r\n on the system will be saved.\r\n\r\n If a key in plain text is required and the caller is local administrator,\r\n output XML file will include the key in plain text.\r\n Otherwise, the output XML file will include encrypted key.\r\n\r\nExamples:\r\n\r\n export profile name=\"profile 1\" folder=c:\\profiles\r\n interface=\"Wireless Network Connection\"\r\n export profile name=\"profile 2\" folder=.\r\n export profile name=\"profile 3\" folder=. key=clear\r\n<\/pre>\nAs you can see above, you can export individual Wi-Fi profiles by specifying their name and the interface (if there are multiple Wi-Fi interfaces in the system). Also, you can mention the output folder path.<\/p>\n
The Name, Interface, and Folder parameters are optional, though. If those parameters aren’t specified, by default, all Wi-Fi profiles are exported to the current folder location.<\/p>\n
Quick Tip:<\/strong> You can view the list of Wi-Fi interfaces and connections by running the command: \"netsh wlan show profiles\"<\/code>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Import Wi-Fi Profile from an XML file<\/h2>\n
![\"backup](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/wifi-import-netsh-1.png\")
<\/p>\n