In a networked environment, managing access to shared folders is essential. When using Windows 11, the operating system often saves login credentials for network shares to facilitate quick access. However, it may become necessary to remove these credentials for security reasons, to troubleshoot issues, or to switch user accounts.

Login credentials for network shares are stored in Credential Manager, which allows users to view and manage their saved usernames and passwords. For those who prefer command-line tools, cmdkey can also be used to manage these credentials directly from the terminal. Both methods ensure that you maintain control over the credentials used to access network resources.

Properly managing network credentials is crucial in a technical environment. Removing outdated or incorrect credentials prevents unauthorized access and resolves connectivity issues. This guide provides steps to clear saved login credentials using both Credential Manager and cmdkey on Windows 11.

Methods to delete saved username and password for network share in Windows:

Steps to clear Windows Credential for shared folders access in Windows 11 using Credential Manager:

  1. Open Credential Manager through the Windows search bar.
  2. Select the Windows Credentials tab.
  3. Click on the dropdown icon for the server or computer that you want to remove from the Credential Manager.
  4. Click on the remove link.
  5. Confirm the deletion when prompted.
  6. Repeat for other credentials as needed.

    It might take a while for the credential to be removed from caches. You can either wait or reboot the system.

Steps to clear Windows Credential for shared folders access in Windows 11 using cmdkey:

  1. Open Command Prompt or PowerShell as an administrator.
  2. List all the stored credentials.
    $ cmdkey /list
    
    Currently stored credentials:
    
        Target: WindowsLive:target=virtualapp/didlogical
        Type: Generic
        User: 02erbobtpesylcou
        Local machine persistence
    
        Target: Domain:target=10.1.11.11
        Type: Domain Password
        User: admin
  3. Identify the credential associated with the network share.
    Target: Domain:target=10.1.11.11
  4. Delete the specific credential using cmdkey.
    $ cmdkey /delete:10.1.11.11
    
    CMDKEY: Credential deleted successfully.
  5. Verify that the credential has been removed.
    cmdkey /list
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