What Is Windows Credential Manager and Where Can It Be Found?

Windows has a digital library for storing your usernames and passwords, including data for websites, apps, browser extensions, and networks. This Windows feature (Windows Credential Manager) comes with both pros and cons. Read to the end to learn about our best alternative to Windows Credential Manager, which manages all your sensitive data reliably and conveniently.

Windows Credential Manager is a built-in password manager native to Windows 7 and later. It stores login credentials for use on a local PC or other computers in the same network or server.

Windows Credentials include several sorts of data, including Certificate-Based Credentials, which are mainly used in complex business network environments. Most Windows users won’t need these, but you can learn more about enabling these credentials through Microsoft Support. 

The Windows 10 version of Windows Credential Manager divides credentials into two categories: Web Credentials, as for website logins, and Windows Credentials, such as data used only by Windows services and programs.

To open Windows Credential Manager in your Windows, simply type credential manager in the search box on the taskbar and click the Credential Manager Control panel, and click on Windows/Web Credentials to access the usernames and passwords you need to manage.

Pros and Cons of Windows Credential Manager

Windows credential manager is a good solution for managing usernames and passwords due to some reasons such as:

1. It’s native to Windows and easily accessible without the need to purchase and install any program.
2. It’s a user-friendly password manager, allowing you to conveniently manage your sensitive data.
3. It helps users manage their passwords across both web and Windows login credentials
4.  

However, there are a few drawbacks with this password manager that need to be addressed, including:

1. Passwords are stored in clear text in the Credentials Manager file format, so if a hacker has found his/her way into your computer, the clear text passwords are out in the open.
2. It lacks built-in data encryption to make your data unreadable to third parties. 
3. Windows is already an easy target for hackers. If your Windows gets hacked, your login credentials will be compromised.