The total failure of a Windows installation is not only a traumatic event due to the time it takes to fix the problem or the risk of losing information, but in many cases it is the only way to access online services, because it has all the passwords stored inside. So, what can we do to recover passwords in Windows when the operating system refuses to cooperate? Nirsoft offers us ExtPassword!.
The simple thought of it gives me chills: a Windows installation down, and the user's passwords trapped inside. But before you start shouting that it's a complete disaster (?), the truth is that some alternatives exist.
For example, if the operating system refuses to boot but the data on the disk remains relatively intact, we can try to recover the passwords in Windows by connecting that same disk to another computer temporarily, and using the right tool. That is when the new ExtPassword! appears, from the inexhaustible Nirsoft.
How to recover your passwords in Windows with ExtPassword!
What exactly can ExtPassword! recover? Its official page explains it perfectly:
- Passwords stored in the main browsers, including multiple flavors of Chromium, Mozilla Firefox, and even Internet Explorer 10 and 11.
- Passwords from email clients such as Outlook and Thunderbird.
- Passwords from dial-up and VPN services configured in Windows.
- Passwords from remembered WiFi networks.
- Security questions in Windows 10 and 11.
To use ExtPassword! successfully, it is necessary to run it with elevated privileges. Once started, its interface asks for three parameters: the path of the external drive with the files that ExtPassword! will try to analyze, the Windows login passwords, and the master passwords in Mozilla software. In other words, ExtPassword! is not a cracking tool, and it will ask you for additional information.
Even with that data, ExtPassword! may fail to recover anything. Nirsoft indicates that the application should work on any version of Windows from XP to Windows 11, but I imagine it will be more effective on older editions. Give it a try! Anything that can help you recover your passwords in Windows is welcome.
Official site and download: Click here
