On Windows 10, Credential Manager is the feature that stores your sign-in information for websites (using Microsoft Edge), apps, and networks (such as mapped drives or shared folders) when you check the option to save your credentials for future logins.

Credential Manager isn’t new, it’s been around for a long time, and it not only allows you to save your login usernames and passwords, but it also allows you to view, delete, add, backup, and restore credentials.

This guide will teach you the steps to use the Credential Manager on Windows 10 to control all your logon information.

  • Edit existing sign-in information using Credential Manager
  • Delete sign-in information using Credential Manager
  • Add new sign-in information using Credential Manager
  • Backup sign-in information using Credential Manager
  • Restore sign-in information using Credential Manager

Edit existing sign-in information using Credential Manager

To update a password or username already stored on Windows 10, use these steps:

  • Open Control Panel on Windows 10.
  • Click on User Accounts.
  • Click on Credential Manager.
  • Click the Windows Credentials tab (or Web Credentials).
  • Select the account.
  • Click the Edit button.
  • Update the username and password as necessary.
  • Click the Save button.

Once you complete the steps, the information will update with the new credentials, which means no more login prompts if you initially saved the wrong username or password or changed the sign-in information.

Open Control Panel on Windows 10.

Click on User Accounts.

Click on Credential Manager.

Click the Windows Credentials tab (or Web Credentials).

Select the account.

Click the Edit button.

Update the username and password as necessary.

Click the Save button.

Delete sign-in information using Credential Manager

To delete an account credential already stored on Windows 10, use these steps:

  • Open Control Panel.
  • Click on User Accounts.
  • Click on Credential Manager.
  • Click the Windows Credentials tab (or Web Credentials).
  • Select the account.
  • Click the Remove button.
  • Click the Yes button.

After you complete the steps, the account credentials will no longer be available on the device, meaning that future logins will require you to enter a username and password.

Open Control Panel.

Click the Remove button.

Click the Yes button.

Add new sign-in information using Credential Manager

To add an app or network credential on Windows 10, use these steps:

  • Open Control Panel.
  • Click on User Accounts.
  • Click on Credential Manager.
  • Click the Windows Credentials tab.
  • Click the “Add a Windows credential” (or “Add a certificate-based credential”) option.
  • Specify the internet or network address corresponding to the app or network resource.
  • Specify the username and password to authenticate.
  • Click the OK button.

Once you complete the steps, the new account information will be added to your device to sign in automatically the next time you access the apps or network shared.

Click the Windows Credentials tab.

Click the “Add a Windows credential” (or “Add a certificate-based credential”) option.

Specify the internet or network address corresponding to the app or network resource.

Specify the username and password to authenticate.

Click the OK button.

Backup sign-in information using Credential Manager

To export and backup all your credentials for apps and networks, use these steps:

  • Open Control Panel.
  • Click on User Accounts.
  • Click on Credential Manager.
  • Click the Windows Credentials tab.
  • Click the Back up Credentials option.
  • Click the Browse button to specify a destination for the backup.
  • Specify a name for the .crd backup file.
  • Click the Save button.
  • Click the Next button.
  • Use the Ctrl + Alt + Delete keyboard shortcut to continue.
  • Specify a password to protect the Credential Manager file on Windows 10.
  • Click the Next button.
  • Click the Finish button.

After you complete the steps, you’ll end up with a .crd file containing all your Windows 10 and web credentials that you can import to another computer or to the same device after a clean installation.

Click the Back up Credentials option.

Click the Browse button to specify a destination for the backup.

Specify a name for the .crd backup file.

Click the Next button.

Use the Ctrl + Alt + Delete keyboard shortcut to continue.

Specify a password to protect the Credential Manager file on Windows 10.

Click the Finish button.

Restore sign-in information using Credential Manager

To restore your sign-in information from backup on Windows 10, use these steps:

  • Open Control Panel.
  • Click on User Accounts.
  • Click on Credential Manager.
  • Click the Windows Credentials tab.
  • Click the Restore Credentials option.
  • Click the Browse button.
  • Select the .crd files with the backup information.
  • Click the Open button.
  • Click the Next button.
  • Use the Ctrl + Alt + Delete keyboard shortcut to continue.
  • Type the password to unlock the Credential Manager backup.
  • Click the Next button.
  • Click the Finish button.

Once you complete the step, your device’s credentials for sites, apps, and networks will restore.

Click the Restore Credentials option.

Click the Browse button.

Select the .crd files with the backup information.

Click the Open button.

Type the password to unlock the Credential Manager backup.

While this guide focuses on Windows 10, Credential Manager has been available for a long time, which means that the steps will also work on Windows 8.1 and Windows 7.