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Mention the main keyword from 11 reasons why Credential Manager doesn’t work in Windows 10 (and how to fix it) in bold (ne mets pas tout le titre 11 reasons why Credential Manager doesn’t work in Windows 10 (and how to fix it), mets juste le probleme qui est le sujet de l’article).
Briefly explain what causes the problem and what users will learn in this article.
If saved passwords or network/RDP credentials fail to appear or keep disappearing, the root cause is usually a stopped service, corrupted vault files, or a policy/permission blocking storage. The problem described as Credential Manager doesn’t work in Windows 10 can be caused by service failures, corrupted vault data, group policy, third‑party security, or file/registry permission issues — and this article shows 11 concrete reasons and step‑by‑step fixes so you can restore saved credentials safely.
Key Takeaway
The most common and quickest fix is to ensure the Credential Manager (VaultSvc) service and its dependencies are running, then repair corrupted system files and vault data (backup and clear vault files if necessary). If that doesn’t help, check Group Policy, third‑party security software, and user profile integrity.
Quick Fix Guide
Quick Fix Guide
| Reason for the Problem | Quick Solution |
|---|---|
| 1. Credential Manager service stopped or disabled | Start or set VaultSvc (Credential Manager) to Automatic and start it. |
| 2. Required services or dependencies not running | Start RPC, DCOM Server Process Launcher and ensure dependencies are healthy. |
| 3. Corrupted credential vault files | Backup and delete vault files in %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Credentials and %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Credentials to rebuild. |
| 4. File or registry permissions wrong | Reset permissions on vault folders and relevant registry keys. |
| 5. Group Policy or security policy blocking storage | Revert policy under Local Security Policy or Group Policy Editor that blocks credential storage. |
| 6. Third‑party security/credential managers interfering | Temporarily disable or uninstall interfering security/credential software. |
| 7. System file corruption | Run sfc /scannow and DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth. |
| 8. Windows update or known bug | Install latest Windows updates or uninstall faulty updates. |
| 9. Corrupted user profile | Test with a new user account; migrate credentials if needed. |
| 10. Broken Credential Manager UI or Control Panel integration | Use cmdlets or registry fixes, or run Control Panel > Credential Manager after fixes. |
| 11. Remote credential delegation settings | Adjust Allow delegating saved credentials policy or use CredSSP settings. |
Detailed Fixes for “Credential Manager doesn’t work in Windows 10”
Below are 11 common reasons why Credential Manager fails and step‑by‑step solutions. Follow them in order (simpler fixes first).
1. Credential Manager service stopped or disabled
Why it causes the problem:
Credential Manager functionality depends on the VaultSvc service. If it’s stopped or disabled, the vault won’t be accessible.
Solution:
- Press Win + R, type services.msc, press Enter.
- Find Credential Manager (service name VaultSvc).
- Right‑click → Properties. Set Startup type to Automatic (Delayed Start) or Automatic.
- Click Start if the service is stopped, then OK.
- Reopen Control Panel > User Accounts > Credential Manager to check.
Tip: If the service fails to start, note any error and move to step 2 (dependency check).
2. Required services or dependencies not running
Why it causes the problem:
VaultSvc depends on RPC and other Windows infrastructure. If dependencies are down, VaultSvc can’t run.
Solution:
- Open services.msc.
- Ensure Remote Procedure Call (RPC) and DCOM Server Process Launcher are set to Automatic and running.
- Also check Cryptographic Services and Network Store Interface Service.
- Restart the system after fixing service settings.
Note: If RPC isn’t running, other system features will also fail — that’s critical to address first.
3. Corrupted credential vault files
Why it causes the problem:
Credential Manager stores items in local vault files. Corruption or incompatible files can prevent the UI from showing or saving credentials.
Solution:
- Back up current vault folders: open File Explorer and navigate to:
- %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Credentials
- %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Credentials
- %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Vault
- Copy these folders to a safe backup location.
- After backup, delete the files inside these folders (not the folders themselves).
- Restart Windows and open Credential Manager — Windows will recreate vault files.
- Recreate any required saved credentials manually.
Warning: Deleting vault files removes stored credentials; back up before deleting.
4. File or registry permissions are incorrect
Why it causes the problem:
If the user or system account doesn’t have rights to the vault folders or registry keys, Credential Manager cannot read/write credentials.
Solution:
- Open File Explorer to %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Credentials.
- Right‑click the folder → Properties → Security → Advanced.
- Ensure the current user and SYSTEM have Full control; adjust if needed.
- For registry permissions, open regedit, navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Vault (and related keys).
- Right‑click key → Permissions, ensure your user has full control.
- If unsure, run a new admin command prompt and execute:
- takeown /f “%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Credentials” /r /d y
- icacls “%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Credentials” /grant “%USERNAME%”:F /t
- Restart and test Credential Manager.
Note: Be cautious with registry edits; export keys first.
5. Group Policy or security policy blocking storage
Why it causes the problem:
Domain or local policies can disable storing passwords for network authentication or credential delegation, preventing Credential Manager from saving or using credentials.
Solution:
- For local changes, open Local Security Policy: press Win, type secpol.msc, press Enter.
- Go to Local Policies > Security Options, find Network access: Do not allow storage of passwords and credentials for network authentication: set to Disabled.
- For Group Policy, open gpedit.msc (if available) and check:
- Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Credentials Delegation
- User Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Credentials Delegation
- If on a domain, contact your IT admin to review GPOs that might block Credential Manager.
- After changes, run gpupdate /force in an elevated command prompt and restart.
6. Third‑party security or credential managers interfering
Why it causes the problem:
Antivirus software or third‑party password managers may intercept or block access to the vault files.
Solution:
- Temporarily disable third‑party antivirus or endpoint protection (use vendor instructions).
- If Credential Manager works when disabled, add exceptions for %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Credentials and VaultSvc.
- Consider uninstalling conflicting software or updating it to the latest version.
- Reboot and recheck.
Tip: If you’re in a managed environment, coordinate with IT to avoid exposing the system.
7. System file corruption
Why it causes the problem:
Corrupted system files can stop Credential Manager UI or services from functioning correctly.
Solution:
- Open an elevated Command Prompt (right‑click Command Prompt → Run as administrator).
- Run:
- sfc /scannow
- If SFC reports errors it can’t fix, run:
- DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
- Reboot after completion and recheck Credential Manager.
Note: DISM requires an Internet connection to download replacement files if necessary.
8. Windows update or known bug
Why it causes the problem:
A Windows update may introduce a regression affecting Credential Manager.
Solution:
- Open Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, click Check for updates and install all pending updates.
- If the problem began after an update, view update history and uninstall the suspect update: Settings > Update & Security > View update history > Uninstall updates.
- Use System Restore (if enabled) to roll back to a point before the issue.
Tip: Search Microsoft support or TechNet for known bugs tied to specific KB numbers.
9. Corrupted user profile
Why it causes the problem:
A damaged user profile can corrupt per‑user vault storage and settings.
Solution:
- Create a new local administrative test account: Settings > Accounts > Family & other users > Add someone else to this PC.
- Sign in with the new account and open Credential Manager to see if it works.
- If the new account works, consider migrating data to the new profile and deleting the corrupted one (backup files first).
- For migration, copy user data from C:\Users\
to C:\Users\ except NTUSER.dat and profile system files.
Warning: Be careful when deleting profiles; ensure you have backups.
10. Broken Credential Manager UI or Control Panel integration
Why it causes the problem:
Sometimes the Control Panel UI or network provider hooks that present credentials fail, though vault services work.
Solution:
- Access credentials via alternative methods: use the Credential Manager UI at Control Panel > User Accounts > Credential Manager or run rundll32.exe keymgr.dll,KRShowKeyMgr.
- If UI fails, try the Windows Settings path for work/school accounts: Settings > Accounts > Access work or school.
- Repair system files as in step 7, and use sfc and DISM.
- If necessary, reinstall related system components via an in-place repair (Windows 10 installation media → Upgrade this PC now) to preserve apps and files.
11. Remote credential delegation settings
Why it causes the problem:
Saved RDP credentials or network delegation rely on Credential Delegation policies (e.g., CredSSP). If misconfigured, RDP credentials may not be used.
Solution:
- Open gpedit.msc, go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Credentials Delegation.
- Enable Allow delegating saved credentials with NTLM-only server authentication and add required servers (e.g., *TERMSRV/.domain.com**).
- Or configure Allow delegating saved credentials as required for your environment.
- After changes, run gpupdate /force and restart.
- On clients using CredSSP, ensure recent updates for CredSSP vulnerability have been applied.
Note: Modifying delegation policies has security implications — follow organizational policy.
Additional section: Preventive measures and recovery tools
- Regularly back up your vault files: export a copy of files from %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Credentials and store them encrypted offline.
- Use Windows Backup or a system image to restore quickly if vault corruption occurs.
- Keep Windows and security software up to date to avoid known bugs.
- For advanced recovery: Event Viewer logs under Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > VaultSvc can show detailed errors for troubleshooting.
- If you need to recover a single credential and you have a profile backup, restore the credential files from backup rather than deleting the whole vault.
FAQ
What happens if I delete the credential files — can I recover them?
If you deleted the files and don’t have a backup or system restore point, stored credentials are lost; you must recreate them. If you have a system image or file backup, restore the credential files from there.
Can I export/import Credential Manager entries?
Windows does not provide a built‑in GUI import/export for generic vault entries. You can back up the credential files manually or use enterprise tools (e.g., Group Policy or third‑party management) to manage credentials. Always keep backups encrypted.
How to diagnose VaultSvc errors in detail?
Open Event Viewer → Windows Logs > Application and Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > VaultSvc for error IDs and messages; match errors to online Microsoft documentation for targeted fixes.
Is it safe to disable Credential Manager if I don’t use it?
Disabling VaultSvc can break features that use stored credentials (mapped drives, RDP saved passwords, some apps). It’s better to leave it enabled and remove only unwanted saved credentials.
Can domain policies permanently prevent Credential Manager use?
Yes — domain Group Policy can block saving credentials or delegating them. If you’re on a managed machine, discuss with your IT admin before changing Group Policy settings.
Conclusion
Credential saving and retrieval issues are commonly caused by service failures, corrupted vault files, policy restrictions, or permission problems; the fastest route to fix is to verify the VaultSvc service, repair system files, and reset corrupted vault data. Following the steps above will resolve most cases where Credential Manager doesn’t work in Windows 10 and help you prevent future problems.
