Manage Saved Passwords in Internet Explorer - A Guide

Understanding How Your Browser Stores Passwords

In today’s digital landscape, maintaining your privacy is paramount. But have you ever considered the mechanics of how your web browser securely stores your passwords? This article delves into the processes occurring behind the scenes.

Web applications employ various authentication methods. Basic authentication is one such method, presenting a dialog box requesting a username and password upon visiting a website. Notably, this authentication type is formally defined within the HTTP Request for Comments (RFC) specification.

As illustrated above, a checkbox often allows you to retain your login details. But what functionality does this provide? Consider also what happens when a website doesn’t utilize Basic authentication. An alternative, Form authentication, integrates the authentication directly into the web application itself, such as on the How-To Geek website.

Regardless of the authentication method used, Internet Explorer provides an option to remember your login information. The following screenshot demonstrates this process for Form authentication.

Internally, Internet Explorer leverages a lesser-known component of Windows called the Credential Manager. This feature has seen improvements, particularly with the release of Windows 8.

To access the Credential Manager, open the Control Panel. This can be conveniently achieved by pressing the Win + X keys and selecting it from the context menu.

Subsequently, click on “User Accounts and Family Safety.”

Then, select the “Credential Manager” option.

Through testing, it can be somewhat challenging to determine where credentials are saved – under “Web Credentials” or “Windows Credentials.” The conclusion is that it largely depends on the authentication type employed. Form authentication typically stores credentials under “Web Credentials.”

When basic authentication is used, the credentials are generally saved within the “Generic Credentials” section of “Windows Credentials.”

Removing a saved password is straightforward; simply click the “Remove” link.

To delete all saved passwords, open Internet Explorer and access the Safety settings, then choose “Delete browsing history…”

Ensure that both “Form data” and “Passwords” are checked before clicking “Delete.”

This completes the overview of password storage and management within Internet Explorer.