Many users only realize how important FTP credentials are after they lose access to a website. If you forgot your hosting password, moved to a new computer, or reinstalled Windows, FileZilla no longer remembers your saved connections and you cannot upload or edit website files.
This guide explains how to recover FileZilla saved passwords from Windows, extract FTP credentials from sitemanager.xml, and restore server access even from an old hard drive or non-booting PC.
You will also learn how to backup FileZilla logins before formatting so you never lose hosting access again.
In This Guide
Why FileZilla Password Recovery is Crucial
FileZilla is one of the most popular FTP clients worldwide, used by millions of developers, webmasters, and IT professionals. When you save FTP passwords in FileZilla's Site Manager, they're stored locally on your computer. This convenience becomes a major problem when:
Critical Warning for Windows Users
Reinstalling Windows or formatting your hard drive permanently deletes all locally stored FileZilla credentials. Without proper backup, you'll lose access to all your FTP servers and websites.
Common scenarios where FileZilla password recovery becomes essential:
- Windows reinstallation: Formatting wipes all application data
- Hardware upgrade: Moving to a new computer
- System crash: Unexpected hardware failure
- Forget credentials: Need to access old FTP accounts
- Team collaboration: Share FTP credentials securely
How FileZilla Stores Your FTP Credentials
Understanding how FileZilla stores passwords helps you recover them effectively. FileZilla uses an XML-based configuration system:
Windows 10/11: C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Roaming\FileZilla\
Key Files:
- sitemanager.xml (contains FTP site configurations)
- recentservers.xml (recent connections)
- filezilla.xml (main configuration)
Passwords in sitemanager.xml are stored like:
<Host>ftp.example.com</Host>
<Port>21</Port>
<User>username</User>
<Pass encoding="base64">QXNkZjEyMzQ1</Pass>
Important points about FileZilla's password storage:
- Passwords are base64 encoded, not encrypted
- Stored in sitemanager.xml file
- Location varies by Windows version
- Can be easily decoded with right tools
Because the password is encoded rather than encrypted,anyone with access to the file can restore the login. This design allows recovery tools to reconstruct connections even when FileZilla cannot open.
Pro Tip
Always backup your FileZilla configuration folder before any system changes. This includes the entire C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Roaming\FileZilla\ directory.
Manual Method: Export FileZilla Site Manager
If you're planning ahead and have access to your current FileZilla installation, you can manually export your FTP credentials:
Step 1: Open FileZilla Site Manager
Launch FileZilla and click on "File" → "Site Manager" or press Ctrl+S.
Step 2: Export Site Configurations
Click the "Export" button at the bottom of the Site Manager window. Choose "Export sites to a FileZilla XML file" and save it to a secure location (USB drive, cloud storage, or external hard drive).
Step 3: Backup Configuration Files
Navigate to C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Roaming\FileZilla\ and copy the entire folder to your backup location. This ensures you have all configuration data.
Limitations of manual method:
- Requires pre-planning before system issues
- Doesn't work if FileZilla won't launch
- Passwords remain encoded in XML file
- No password decryption or viewing
Automatic Method: Using PC Trek Tools
For comprehensive FileZilla password recovery, especially when you've already lost access or need to extract credentials from a non-working system, PC Trek tools provide the most effective solution and can also export browser saved passwords before reinstall and backup WiFi passwords from Windows at the same time.
Advanced Password Recovery Suite (Recommended)
The complete solution for extracting all types of credentials, including FileZilla FTP passwords, browser logins, WiFi keys, and software licenses.
- Extracts: FileZilla FTP credentials with host, username, and decoded password
- Format: Shows passwords in plain text for easy copying
- Export: Save to CSV, HTML, or text file
- Works with: Even non-working Windows installations (by scanning old hard drives)
How It Works
PC Trek tools automatically:
- Scan Windows for FileZilla configuration files
- Locate
sitemanager.xmland other config files - Parse XML content and extract FTP connection data
- Decode base64-encoded passwords
- Display results in organized, readable format
Step-by-Step Recovery Process with PC Trek
Follow these steps to recover FileZilla saved passwords using PC Trek tools:
Step 1: Download and Install
Download and install Advanced Password Recovery Suite. The free trial allows you to scan and view extractable items.
Download FTP Password Recovery ToolStep 2: Launch and Select Scan Type
Open APRS and select "FileZilla FTP Client" from the application list or choose "Complete Scan" to recover all credentials including FileZilla passwords.
Step 3: View Extracted Credentials
The tool will display all recovered FileZilla FTP credentials in a clean table format showing:
- Host/Server address
- Port number
- Username
- Password (decoded from base64)
- Connection name (from Site Manager)
Step 4: Export and Save
Export your recovered FTP credentials to a secure file format:
- CSV: For spreadsheet import
- HTML: Readable web format
- Text: Simple text backup
- XML: Import back into FileZilla
Security Best Practice
Store exported FTP credentials in an encrypted container or password manager. Consider changing FTP passwords periodically, especially after recovery from an old system.
Forgot Hosting Password But Website Is Still Online?
This is the most common scenario: the website works in browser but you cannot upload files. Hosting providers usually cannot send you the original password because they store hashed values.
If FileZilla previously connected successfully, the credentials still exist locally inside the configuration file and can be extracted without resetting the hosting account.
This is faster and avoids breaking CMS installations, email accounts, and automated deployments connected to the server.
Frequently Asked Questions
- WinSCP (Windows Secure Copy)
- Core FTP
- SmartFTP
- CuteFTP
- And other popular FTP clients that store credentials locally
Conclusion & Best Practices
FileZilla password recovery is an essential task for anyone managing websites or servers. Whether you're planning a system upgrade or recovering from an unexpected failure, having a backup of your FTP credentials prevents significant downtime and data loss.
Key takeaways from this guide:
- FileZilla stores FTP credentials in XML files with base64 encoding
- Manual export works if planned ahead, but has limitations
- PC Trek tools provide comprehensive recovery even from non-working systems
- Always backup credentials before any Windows reinstallation
- Store recovered passwords in secure, encrypted locations
Ready to Recover Your FileZilla Passwords?
Scan your computer and instantly list all FTP servers, usernames, and passwords stored by FileZilla. The free scan shows recoverable accounts before you reinstall Windows or replace hardware.