How to Access and Use Credential Manager on Windows 10 and Windows 11

If you’ve ever wondered where Windows stores your saved passwords—for websites, apps, or network connections—the answer is the Credential Manager. It’s a built-in feature in both Windows 10 and Windows 11 that lets you view, add, edit, or remove saved login credentials.

Whether you’re troubleshooting login issues or just want to clean up stored data, here’s how to access and use Credential Manager like a pro.

What Is Credential Manager?

Credential Manager is a Windows tool that securely stores your usernames and passwords in an encrypted vault. It keeps credentials for:

• Websites visited via Microsoft Edge or Internet Explorer
• Apps like Outlook or Microsoft Office
• Network shares and remote desktops

Windows uses these credentials to automatically log you in without asking for a password every time.

How to Access Credential Manager

On Windows 10

1. Click the Start button.
2. Type Credential Manager into the search bar and press Enter.
3. Select Credential Manager from the results.

On Windows 11

1. Press Windows + S to open Search.
2. Type Credential Manager and hit Enter.
3. Click on Credential Manager (Control Panel) from the list.

Navigating Credential Manager

Once inside, you’ll see two main sections:

• Web Credentials – These are saved logins for websites.
• Windows Credentials – These cover apps, shared drives, and other system logins.

Click the arrow beside any item to expand it and view the details. You’ll need to enter your Windows password to reveal stored passwords.

What You Can Do

1. View Credentials

• Expand any credential to see the username and the website or service.
• Click Show beside the password (Windows will ask for your login).

2. Add Credentials

• Go to Windows Credentials > click Add a Windows credential.
• Enter the network address, username, and password.

This is especially useful for connecting to network drives or remote computers.

3. Edit or Remove Credentials

• Expand a saved credential.
• Click Edit to update the password or Remove to delete it.

Removing outdated or incorrect credentials can solve a lot of connection errors, especially in business environments or with mapped drives.

Pro Tips

• Don’t rely on it for password management. Credential Manager is convenient but limited. For serious password management, use a tool like Bitwarden or 1Password.
• Sync with your Microsoft account. Credentials tied to your Microsoft account may sync across devices for smoother logins.
• Use it to troubleshoot. If you’re having trouble logging into a service, check if Credential Manager is storing an outdated password.

Final Thoughts

Credential Manager is one of those Windows features that quietly does its job in the background. But when you need to see or manage saved credentials, it’s a simple and powerful tool. Whether you’re managing remote access at work or just cleaning up old logins, now you know exactly where to go and what to do.

Need help with other hidden Windows tools? Drop a comment below or check out our other tech how-tos.