Windows 10 saves a list of Wi-Fi networks you connect to along with their passphrases and other settings. If you want to stop your PC from connecting to a network automatically, you’ll need to make Windows “forget” the Wi-Fi network.
The process was obvious in Windows 7, where you could just select “Manage Wireless Networks” in the Control Panel’s Network and Sharing Center and delete saved networks. Windows 8 removed this option and forced you to use Command Prompt commands. But in Windows 10, Microsoft once again provides a graphical interface for this.
How to Quickly Forget a Saved Wi-Fi Network
Microsoft finally streamlined this process in Windows 10’s Fall Creators Update, so you don’t have to dig through the Settings app or Control Panel.
Just open the Wi-Fi popup from your notification area, also known as the system tray. Right-click or long-press the name of the network you want to forget and select “Forget”.
This only works if you’re near the Wi-Fi network and it appears in the list. If you want to delete a Wi-Fi network your device can’t see at the moment, you’ll need to use the Settings app.
How to Forget a Saved Wi-Fi Network from Settings
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To forget a saved Wi-Fi network that isn’t nearby, you’ll need to leave the old Control Panel behind and use the new Settings app. The “Manage Wireless Networks” function is no longer available in the Network and Sharing Center.
Head to Settings > Network & Internet to get started.
Select the “Wi-Fi” category and click the “Manage known networks” link.
You’ll see a list of every Wi-Fi network you’ve connected to. To forget a network, click it and click “Forget.” You can use the search, sort, and filtering options to find a network in this list.
The next time you connect to a network, you’ll be asked for its passphrase and Windows will set it up from scratch.
How to Forget a Saved Network From the Command Prompt
You can also do this from the Command Prompt, if you prefer. On Windows 8 and 8.1, this was the only built-in way to forget Wi-Fi networks because Microsoft didn’t provide any graphical tools.
Launch a Command Prompt window as Administrator to get started. To do so, open the Start menu, search for “Command Prompt”, right-click the Command Prompt shortcut and select “Run as Administrator.
Type the following command and press “Enter” to show a list of your saved Wi-Fi networks:
Locate the profile name of the network you want to forget. Type the following command, replacing “PROFILE NAME” with the name of the network you want to forget:
For example, let’s say you want to remove a network named “BTWiFi”. You’d type the following command:
