How to find Windows Credentials on a Home network

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How to find Windows Credentials on a Home network

Alex Rose 0

How do you find Credentials on Windows 11 to set up a network at home

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Answer 1

Hi Alex Rose.

Thanks for posting here in Microsoft Community, I understand that you’re looking for where to find credentials on Windows 11 to set up your home network.

Here's how to find Windows Credentials on your Home network, first on your Windows 11 credentials basically just mean the login details Windows uses when you connect things on your home network and where you find them depends on what you’re setting up. If you’re sharing files and a printer or a drive with another PC you’ll usually check Credential Manager for saved usernames and passwords. When another device asks for network access it often wants your Windows details in the format PC‑name\username. If you’re connecting a phone, TV, or another device to your Wi‑Fi you can view your Wi‑Fi password in Network and Sharing Center. And if Windows keeps prompting for credentials during file sharing you can change or turn off password‑protected sharing for trusted devices at home.

If you still needed further assistance or you still have any more question feel free to comment I'll be happy to assist you.

Best regards,

April P.

Answer 2

Marcin Policht 85,420 MVP Volunteer Moderator

On Windows 11, the credentials you need for setting up a home network are typically your Microsoft account or local account username and password, plus any saved network or shared resource credentials stored in the system. To view or manage these, open the Control Panel and go to Credential Manager. You can get there quickly by pressing Windows key + R, typing control, and pressing Enter, then selecting “Credential Manager.”

Inside Credential Manager, you’ll see two main sections: Web Credentials and Windows Credentials. The Windows Credentials section is what matters for home networking. It stores usernames and passwords used for shared folders or other PCs on your network. You can expand any saved entry to see details, edit it, or remove it if you need to reset access.

If you’re connecting one PC to another on your home network, the credentials you’ll usually enter are the username and password of the target computer. You can find your current username by opening Command Prompt and typing:

whoami

or by going to Settings, then Accounts, where your account name is displayed.

If password-protected sharing is enabled on the target PC, you must use an account that exists on that machine. You can check or create accounts by going to Settings, then Accounts, then Family & other users. Make sure the account has a password set, since blank passwords are often blocked for network access.

For shared folders, also ensure network discovery and file sharing are turned on. You can enable these by going to Control Panel, then Network and Sharing Center, then Advanced sharing settings, where you turn on “Network discovery” and “File and printer sharing” for your current network profile.

If the above response helps answer your question, remember to "Accept Answer" so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

hth

Marcin

Alex Rose 0 Reputation points

2026-03-31T12:37:40.17+00:00

Thank you Marcin.

Your answer is informative & gives me good options to cicumnavigate all the different pop up munu's & paths that one gets.I have confirmed that all my folders are available to share in the Shared Folder Pop up.

I have confirmed my user name for each of my Home Computers, one being a Laptop & the other a Desktop.

I am using the same password I use to log in to my laptop when I switch it on.

I am using the same details I have saved in My Kaspersky, as well as the details I use for Logging into my Microsoft account on the Web and to manage my microsoft account.
I keep getting a pop up "Incorrect user name or password"
Marcin Policht 85,420 Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-03-31T13:19:36.4766667+00:00
This usually happens because Windows networking does not always accept your Microsoft account the way you expect, even if the password is correct everywhere else. When you sign into a PC with a Microsoft account, the actual username used for network access is often different from what you think.

On the computer you are trying to access, the username must match exactly what Windows expects locally. If that PC uses a Microsoft account, you should try entering the username in this format:

MicrosoftAccount\youremail@example.com

and then use your normal Microsoft account password.

Another common issue is that Windows may be expecting the local account name instead of the Microsoft email. You can check the exact local username on the target machine by opening Command Prompt and running:

whoami

That will return something like DESKTOP-ABC123\john. In that case, when prompted for credentials from the other computer, you should enter: DESKTOP-ABC123\john with the password for that account.

It’s also important that the account you’re using actually exists on the computer you’re connecting to. Even if both machines use the same Microsoft email, Windows sometimes treats them as separate identities unless credentials are formatted correctly.

If the password is still rejected, clear any stored credentials on the machine you are connecting from. Go into Credential Manager, remove any entries related to the other PC, then try connecting again so Windows prompts you fresh. Cached incorrect credentials will keep failing silently.

Another thing that might potentially come into play is PIN versus password. If you log in with a PIN on your laptop, that PIN will not work over the network. You must use the full account password.

Finally, check that password-protected sharing is enabled on the target PC and that both machines are on a Private network profile. If the network is set to Public, Windows will often block authentication even if the credentials are correct.

If the above response helps answer your question, remember to "Accept Answer" so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

hth

Marcin
Alex Rose 0 Reputation points

2026-03-31T13:44:36.6066667+00:00

Thank you for your patience Marcin.
When I open windows explorer, the exact local username on the target machine (Laptop) from the Windows Command Prompt is the same as the name when I click on the "Network" "Laptop" with a pop up menu that states "Enter your credentials to connect to: John-ABCDEFG1
Then a line below repeating John-ABCDEFG1
Then the Password & an input box.
Entering my Laptop full password as I do when I open it up yields "The user name or password is incorrect."
In fact that is on display even before I input the password?
When I go from my laptop, the Pop up has the same as above, except the line below repeating has admin & not the name of the Desktop.
I'm guessing I need to get a network guy in - there's clearly some disconnect.
I had the desktop rebuilt & all my software is licenced, as I understand it?
Marcin Policht 85,420 Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2026-03-31T16:03:30.1133333+00:00

What you’re describing points to a Windows networking quirk rather than a licensing issue. When Windows Explorer prompts for credentials before you even type anything, it’s usually because the system cannot negotiate authentication automatically and is trying to use stored credentials that are incorrect or mismatched. The fact that the second line shows admin instead of the target computer’s username suggests that cached credentials or local account naming mismatches are confusing Windows.

Even if the username on the laptop matches what you see in Command Prompt, for network access it sometimes needs the machine name as a prefix. For example, if your laptop’s network name is John-ABCDEFG1 and your account is John, the network username should often be entered as John-ABCDEFG1\John and then the password is the normal login password for that account. If you are using a Microsoft account, it would instead be MicrosoftAccount\youremail@example.com with the same Microsoft password.

Another common cause is the type of password being used. If you normally log in with a PIN on the rebuilt desktop or laptop, that PIN will not work for network authentication. You must use the full password associated with the account.

Also check that both computers are on a Private network. Windows treats Public networks differently and may block credential sharing entirely. Go to Settings → Network & Internet → Properties and ensure the network profile is set to Private.

Finally, cached or conflicting credentials in Windows can block proper login. Open Credential Manager on both machines and remove any stored credentials that reference the other PC. Then restart both computers and try connecting again so that Windows prompts you fresh.

If the above response helps answer your question, remember to "Accept Answer" so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

hth

Marcin

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How to find Windows Credentials on a Home network

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