Microsoft Edge Password Storing Process

How Microsoft Edge Saves and Protects Your Passwords??

Introduction:

Microsoft Edge uses a strong, Windows-based encryption system to store and retrieve your login credentials safely. 

This article explains exactly how Edge protects your passwords on your device, step by step, simply and professionally.

Windows Login Password: The Root of All Protection

When you sign in to Windows, your password becomes the foundation for protecting encrypted data through the Data Protection API (DPAPI). Edge relies on this system to encrypt and decrypt your stored passwords. Your saved passwords are tied directly to your Windows account. No one can decrypt them without logging into your profile.

The DPAPI Master Key: Core Encryption Engine

Windows generates a DPAPI master key for each user profile on the system. Microsoft Edge uses this master key to encrypt your passwords before saving them to disk. Because the master key itself is protected by your Windows login password, an attacker would need both:

Your encrypted password files.
Access to your Windows account.
Without these, the passwords remain unreadable.

How Edge Stores Passwords: Encrypted Blobs on Disk

Saved passwords in Microsoft Edge are stored as encrypted blobs—small pieces of protected data that cannot be decrypted without the DPAPI master key. So even if someone copies your browser files or gains access to your system’s storage, they still cannot read your saved passwords.

Temporary Decryption: Passwords Only Decrypt in RAM

When Microsoft Edge needs to fill in a login form, here’s what happens: 

1. Edge retrieves the encrypted blob from disk.
2. Edge asks DPAPI to decrypt it.
3. The decrypted password appears only in RAM, for just a moment.
4. Edge auto-fills the login form.
5. The memory buffer is wiped immediately.

This temporary behavior ensures: No decrypted passwords are written to disk. Passwords only exist in memory for milliseconds. The decrypted value disappears instantly after being used.

Autofill: Secure and Seamless

After the small RAM buffer is created, Edge uses the decrypted password to autofill the login page.

1. Encryption.
2. Secure decryption.
3. Memory clearing.

Summary: Why Edge’s Password Storage Is Secure??

Microsoft Edge protects your saved passwords through several layers: 

1. Zero plaintext storage – passwords are never saved in plain text.
2. DPAPI-based encryption – protected by your Windows login.
3. Per-user keys – tied to your account, not just the device.
4. Decryption only in RAM – temporary and instantly cleared.
5. Strong OS-level protection – handled by Windows, not just the browser.

These systems work together to keep your credentials safe while still letting Edge autofill them quickly when needed.