ARCHIVED: In Windows 95 or 98, how do I remove or edit password list files?

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Note: UITS recommends that you use a current version of Windows on computers connected to the Indiana University network; see Recommended Windows operating systems at IU.

To remove all cached passwords for a user in Windows 95 or 98, you can delete the file username.pwl, where username is that person's username on your computer. If you do not wish to affect all cached passwords, you can use an application called Password List Editor that is provided on the Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows 98SE CDs.

The following information is taken from the Windows 95 Resource Kit Help file provided by Microsoft:

Using Password List Editor

If password caching is enabled, Windows 95 caches passwords in the password list file when you connect to a password-protected network resource. Password List Editor (pwledit) allows you to view the resources listed in a user's password list file (*.pwl). It does not allow you to view the actual passwords, but it allows you to remove specific password entries if problems are encountered using a cached password.

Password List Editor works only if the password list file is unlocked (i.e., the user is logged in). It will allow you to view only the contents of the logged-in user's password list file, so you should run it on the user's computer.

On the Windows 98 and Windows 98SE CDs, you can find Password List Editor in the tools\reskit\netadmin\pwledit directory.

On the Windows 95 CD, you can find Password List Editor in the admin\apptools\pwledit directory.

To install Password List Editor

  1. Open My Computer, then Control Panel, then Add/Remove Programs.
  2. Click the Windows Setup tab, and then click the Have Disk button.
  3. In the Install From Disk dialog box, click Browse. Enter the path name admin\apptools\pwledit\pwledit.inf.
  4. Click OK.
  5. In the Have Disk dialog box, click Password List Editor, and then click Install.

To run Password List Editor

From the Start menu, select Run.... Then enter:

  pwledit

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Last modified on 2018-01-18 12:16:56.