Disable Windows 2000 dial-up password caching

by Jim Boyce | Apr 10, 2002 7:00:00 AM

Takeaway: Windows' ability to save dial-up passwords can be a time-saver, but it doesn't offer the greatest security. Find out how you can prevent Windows from caching dial-up passwords.

When you create a dial-up networking connection, you have the option of having Windows 2000 save the password for future sessions. In many situations, allowing Windows 2000 to retain the password doesn’t pose any security or privacy risks. In some cases, however, you might want to prevent Windows 2000 from saving the passwords.

For example, you might have worries that someone could hack your password cache and gain access to your dial-up passwords. Or maybe you just want to prevent others who use your computer from dialing specific services. Disabling password caching is the answer to such concerns.

Word of warning
The following article suggests ways to edit your System Registry. Using the Windows Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system and could result in data loss. TechRepublic does not and will not support problems that arise from editing your registry. Use the Registry Editor and the following directions at your own risk.

Regedit to the rescue
To disable dial-up networking password caching, you need to modify the registry.

Open the Registry Editor and open the key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\RasMan\Parameters. Add a REG_DWORD value named DisableSavePassword and set it to 1, as shown in Figure A.

Figure A

Close the Registry Editor and verify that the Save Password option is unavailable. To restore the ability to save dial-up networking passwords, change the value of DisableSavePassword to 0 or delete the value from the registry.

Learn more about the registry
For more information about the Windows Registry, check out these other TechRepublic articles and columns:

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