Network and Internet Backup and Restore Wi-Fi Network Profiles in Windows 11


Wi-Fi_banner.png

This tutorial will show you how to backup and restore a specific or all Wi-Fi network profiles on any Windows 10 and Windows 11 PC.

Wi-Fi is a wireless local area network (WLAN) technology and standard that uses high-frequency radio waves to provide wireless Internet and network connections to your Windows device.

When you connect to a Wi-Fi network for the first time, Windows will automatically add a profile for the Wi-Fi network. The saved profile contains the SSID (network name), security key (password), and connection and security properties used to connect to this specific Wi-Fi network.

Restoring a backed up Wi-Fi network profiles can be much easier than having to manually add and connect to a Wi-Fi network again.


Contents





Option One

Backup Wi-Fi Network Profiles


1 Open Windows Terminal, and select Command Prompt.

2 Copy and paste the command below into Windows Terminal, and press Enter to see a list of all Wi-Fi network profiles on each interface on your PC. (see screenshot below step 3)

netsh wlan show profiles

3 Make note of any Wi-Fi network profile names (ex: "Brink-Router2") you want to backup, and which interface (ex: "Wi-Fi") these profiles are on if you have multiple interfaces.

Backup_Wi-Fi_network_profiles.png

4 Type the command below you want to use into Windows Terminal, and press Enter. (see screenshots below)


 Back Up All Wi-Fi Network Profiles on All Interfaces

netsh wlan export profile key=clear folder="%UserProfile%\Desktop"

Backup_all_Wi-Fi_profiles_on_all_interfaces.png


 Back Up All Wi-Fi Network Profiles on Specific Interface

netsh wlan export profile key=clear interface="interface name" folder="%UserProfile%\Desktop"

Substitute interface name in the command above with the actual name of the interface (ex: "Wi-Fi") from step 3 the Wi-Fi network profiles are on.

For example: netsh wlan export profile key=clear interface="Wi-Fi" folder="%UserProfile%\Desktop"


Backup_all_Wi-Fi_profiles_on_specific_interface.png


 Back Up Specific Wi-Fi Network Profile on All Interfaces

netsh wlan export profile "profile name" key=clear folder="%UserProfile%\Desktop"

Substitute profile name (SSID) in the command above with the actual Wi-Fi network profile name (ex: "Brink-Router2") from step 3 you want to export as a backup.

For example: netsh wlan export profile "Brink-Router2" key=clear folder="%UserProfile%\Desktop"


Backup_specific_Wi-Fi_profile_on_all_interfaces.png


 Back Up Specific W-Fi Network Profile on Specific Interface

netsh wlan export profile "profile name" key=clear interface="interface name" folder="%UserProfile%\Desktop"

Substitute profile name (SSID) in the command above with the actual Wi-Fi network profile name (ex: "Brink-Router2") from step 3 you want to export as a backup.

Substitute interface name in the command above with the actual name of the interface (ex: "Wi-Fi") the Wi-Fi network profile is on from step 3 you want to export as a backup.

For example: netsh wlan export profile "Brink-Router2" key=clear interface="Wi-Fi" folder="%UserProfile%\Desktop"


Backup_specific_Wi-Fi_profile_on_specific_interface.png

5 Each .xml file exported to your desktop is a backup of a Wi-Fi network profile. Keep them saved in location you want.

6 When finished, you can close Windows Terminal if you like.




Option Two

Restore Wi-Fi Network Profiles


This option requires the backed up .xml file for a Wi-Fi network profile from Option One.


1 Open Windows Terminal, and select Command Prompt.

2 Copy and paste the command below into Windows Terminal, and press Enter to see a list of all Wi-Fi network profiles on each interface on your PC. (see screenshot below step 3)

netsh wlan show profiles

3 Make note of which interface (ex: "Wi-Fi") you want to restore profiles on if you have multiple interfaces.

Restore_Wi-Fi_profile.png

4 Type the command below you want to use, and press Enter. (see screenshots below)


 Restore Wi-Fi Network Profile on All Interfaces for Only Current User

netsh wlan add profile filename="full path of .xml file" user=current

Substitute full path of .xml file in the command above with the actual full path of the .xml file for the Wi-Fi network profile you want to restore.

For example: netsh wlan add profile filename="C:\Users\Brink\Desktop\Wi-Fi-Brink-Router2.xml" user=current



 Restore Wi-Fi Network Profile on All Interfaces for All Users

netsh wlan add profile filename="full path of .xml file"

Substitute full path of .xml file in the command above with the actual full path of the .xml file for the Wi-Fi network profile you want to restore.

For example: netsh wlan add profile filename="C:\Users\Brink\Desktop\Wi-Fi-Brink-Router2.xml"



Restore_Wi-Fi_profile_on_all_interfaces.png


 Restore Wi-Fi Network Profile on Specific Interface for Only Current User

netsh wlan add profile filename="full path of .xml file" interface="interface name" user=current

Substitute full path of .xml file in the command above with the actual full path of the .xml file for the Wi-Fi network profile you want to restore.

Substitute interface name in the command above with the actual name of the interface (ex: "Wi-Fi") you want to restore the Wi-Fi network profile on.

For example: netsh wlan add profile filename="C:\Users\Brink\Desktop\Wi-Fi-Brink-Router2.xml" interface="Wi=Fi" user=current



 Restore Wi-Fi Network Profile on Specific Interface for All Users

netsh wlan add profile filename="full path of .xml file" interface="interface name"

Substitute full path of .xml file in the command above with the actual full path of the .xml file for the Wi-Fi network profile you want to restore.

Substitute interface name in the command above with the actual name of the interface (ex: "Wi-Fi") you want to restore the Wi-Fi network profile on.

For example: netsh wlan add profile filename="C:\Users\Brink\Desktop\Wi-Fi-Brink-Router2.xml" interface="Wi=Fi"


Restore_Wi-Fi_profile_on_specific_interface.png

5 When finished, you can close Windows Terminal if you like.


That's it,
Shawn Brink


 
Last edited:
I have 306 WiFi profiles I would like to move over from my old laptop with Windows 10 to my new laptop with windows 11. Ive exported the profiles to a folder on the old laptop but if Im reading this post correctly, I can only import them one at a time in to the new laptop? Any solution that imports them all together in one step?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 7706 2n1
    CPU
    11th Gen Intel Core i7-1165g7
    Memory
    16.0GB
@TJ Barrans

This approach should do the trick. You will have to sort out exact syntax

1) redirect output of show profile command to a text file.


Code:
netsh wlan show profiles > profiles.txt

2) edit text file so each line contains name of profile only. Add a line at end called FINISH

3) create a command batch file that simply has a loop and reads line from text file into a command line variable (many web guides how to do this)

key line to read line is below.

Code:
set /p Build=<profiles.txt

Within loop, use wifi export command (substituting the variable).

Also check variable each time for text FINISH and jump put of loop to end of batch file.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro + Win11 Canary VM.
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Zenbook 14
    CPU
    I9 13th gen i9-13900H 2.60 GHZ
    Motherboard
    Yep, Laptop has one.
    Memory
    16 GB soldered
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel Iris XE
    Sound Card
    Realtek built in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop OLED screen
    Screen Resolution
    2880x1800 touchscreen
    Hard Drives
    1 TB NVME SSD (only weakness is only one slot)
    PSU
    Internal + 65W thunderbolt USB4 charger
    Case
    Yep, got one
    Cooling
    Stella Artois (UK pint cans - 568 ml) - extra cost.
    Keyboard
    Built in UK keybd
    Mouse
    Bluetooth , wireless dongled, wired
    Internet Speed
    900 mbs (ethernet), wifi 6 typical 350-450 mb/s both up and down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    TPM 2.0, 2xUSB4 thunderbolt, 1xUsb3 (usb a), 1xUsb-c, hdmi out, 3.5 mm audio out/in combo, ASUS backlit trackpad (inc. switchable number pad)

    Macrium Reflect Home V8
    Office 365 Family (6 users each 1TB onedrive space)
    Hyper-V (a vm runs almost as fast as my older laptop)
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