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Dial-Up Networking Password Is Not Saved

When you try to save your password when you are making a Dial-Up Networking connection by clicking the Save Password check box, your password may not be saved. This problem can occur even when you successfully connect to the server, and when your password has not changed. This problem can also occur if the user name contains characters that are not allowed in a file name. For example username would result in a .pwl filename of username.pwl

This problem can be caused by any of the following situations:

You must have a network client installed in the Network control panel in order to enable password caching.
Client for Microsoft Networks or Microsoft Family Logon do the trick.

Your password list (.pwl) file is damaged. If you are using a personal certificate in your email client, you should export it before deleting your .pwl files. If you do not, it may be unavailable when you send e-mail. For more information, see MSKB article Q190296.
To remove all PWL files:

  • Click on Start, Find or Search, Files or Folders
  • Type *.pwl in the Named box
  • In the Look in: box, select the (C:) drive
  • Click the Find now or Search now button. Windows will search your hard drive for any file which ends in .pwl. A list of these files will appear in a search results window.
  • When the search is complete, right-click on each file listed in the search results window and choose Delete If prompted, choose Yes
  • When all of the listed files have been deleted, close the search window.
  • Reboot your computer by clicking Start, Shut Down, Select Restart, click OK
  • Once Windows has restarted, you will be prompted for a user name and password. Type anything for the username, but leave the password blank.
  • Click OK

Your PWL should now have been recreated, uncorrupted.

Password caching may be disabled.
To enable password caching, use the Registry Editor to change the value of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Network . If password caching is disabled, the DisablePwdCaching DWORD has a value of 1. To enable password caching, change the value to 0. If the DisablePwdCaching value does not exist, add this DWORD value with a data value of 0 to the registry key listed above. You may need to remove this value altogether, and then restart your computer to make caching work.

Automatic logon is enabled. Disable automatic logon.
To do so, delete the AutoLogon binary value from the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Network\Real Mode Net


One or more of the files associated with Dial-Up Networking is missing or damaged. Re-install Dial-Up Networking.

  • Click Start, Settings, Control Panel
  • Double-click Add/Remove Programs
  • Click the Windows Setup tab
  • Uncheck the box next to Communications
  • Click Apply
  • Click OK
  • Restart your computer if you are prompted to do so.
  • Once restarted, Click Start, Settings, Control Panel
  • Double-click Add/Remove Programs
  • Click the Windows Setup tab
  • Click on the word Communications, not the box.
  • Click on the Details button
  • Click the box next to Dial-Up Networking
  • Click OK
  • Click Apply
  • Click OK

You may receive version conflict error messages during this process. If this happens, click No when you are prompted to keep a newer version of each file. Restart your computer if you are prompted to do so.

Dial-Up Networking is now reinstalled.

User profiles are disabled, but the ProfilesList key is present in the registry.
Read How to Disable and Delete User Profiles

You installed the Microsoft Windows 95 Password List Update that is included with Microsoft Windows 95 Service Pack 1.

Additional educational reading:

No Windows or Network Logon Dialogue Box at Startup
Damaged Password List File Does Not Save Passwords
Save Password Checkbox is Unavailable