Decode / Recover Dreamweaver Password
Description
Occasionally I have found that I loose my ftp password to gain access to a remote web server, only to have Dreamweaver as the only means available to access the server. Dreamweaver obviously knows the password, but it cannot be cut and paste from the site settings and it is hard to find. If you export the site as a ste file and open it using a text editor, then you can see the password.
Unfortunately the password in the ste file is encrypted as I found after assuming it was literal text and trying it many many times. There is a way the decode it (above) to allow you to use your password elsewhere again.
You need
- A text editor, such as notepad
How To Use
Export the site in question as a ste file. Open Dreamweaver, and choose Site > Edit Sites.
Select the website in question and then click Export
Select the backup my settings option, then click OK
Save the ste file to a temporary location, such as your desktop
Open the ste file in a text editor
look for the text along the lines of
copy the text that appears instead of ***PASSWORD*** and paste the password above on this page, then click Convert to recover it.
Further Uses and Ideas:
- Another way to get your coded password is to look under UserPW key in your registry ....
Dreamweaver 4
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Macromedia\Dreamweaver 4\Sites
Dreamweaver MX
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Macromedia\Dreamweaver 6\Sites
Dreamweaver MX 2004
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Macromedia\Common\2004\Sites
Dreamweaver 8
A different algorithm is used in the registry for Dreamweaver 8. Use the exported site definition to obtain the encrypted password.
Previous Comments For This Page
Great tool.
By Bill Gates on 09/01/2012Thank You very much! That's an excellent tool!
On 08/01/2012Awesome...thanks for you help...I was able to recover my DW password... :)
By Eric on 02/12/2011Roger W - thanks so much your method worked for me....had a Dreamweaver login that was not connecting and needed to test on normal FTP site - I guess this is what happens when we reply on info being saved instead of saving it ourselves!
On 09/11/2011nice tool - is there a way of decrypting the encrypted password from the registry for CS4 and 5? That's whre I'm totally stuck as my CS5 trial has expired and can't access any site definitions other than via registry. It comes it with a super-long password that doesn't decrypt properly using any tool I've found online. Any suggestions? Thanks!
By Ashley M on 31/10/2011Amazing!! Saved my butt!!!
By ABM on 28/10/2011Way easy, HUGH tks.
By joemule1 on 17/10/2011You're the man!
By Michael on 07/10/2011HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA
A former client who owes me money for the edits I made to their site just emailed me today (after over a year) and asked if I had access to the site HELP HELP we need you desperately. I replied: Here is the outstanding invoice for $700.00 plus late fees and yes (THANKS TO THIS SITE!!!) I have access to your website.
By TeeJAY on 08/09/2011Sssssweeeet! Thank you so much!
By Toan Duong on 05/09/2011brilliant, thanks :)
By dog on 07/08/2011Sweeet! What an awesome tool!
By pixelbiz on 05/08/2011still works on the latest CS Dreamweaver, THANKS!
By Glenn Page on 04/08/2011THANK YOU!
On 26/06/2011WOW, thank you!!!
On 15/06/2011Hi, I came to your site after having done my own password crack on the .ste file. My crack was correct but my problem turned out to be incorrect FTP settings making me unable to connect to my site.
However, I thought that I'd explain my crack, your method is much simpler so this is purely for the geeks...
The password in the .ste file is a string of hex characters so first copy and paste the hex into an online hex to ascii convertor.
The characters this gives you have a simple arithmetic code applied to them and to get the real password you need to look up the ascii character that is:
first character - has 0 subtracted
2nd - has 1 subtracted
3rd - has 2 subtracted
4th - has 3 subtracted
etc. etc.
An example
Hex from .ste = 716a3f70743e776c
Ascii = qj?pt>wl
Real password = qi=np9qe
By Roger W on 27/05/2011 2 for you!
On 23/05/2011DITTO all the above
On 14/04/2011Big Help!
On 22/03/2011Thank you very much.
By neptronix on 17/03/2011Ta
By Sten on 10/03/2011Thank you very much for this app, you saved my bacon.
On 04/03/2011This is so damn cool and I give you all the THANKYOUS on this site plus another Thousand from me.
By Ron on 09/02/2011Wow this is amazing, thank you for this service.
By Albert on 25/01/2011You just totally saved me! Thank you!!!!
By Brian on 17/12/2010James Lewis is right, you deserve a beer for this.
By Mike Pound on 05/12/2010OMG, this just saved my ass!! The UML tool I was testing code generation with overwrote my Netbeans project, and all I had to get onto that server was the Dreamweaver STE for other projects on that same server. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
By Rob on 04/11/2010Thanks guys, a really helpful page
On 03/11/2010Super, super, super
By TRoels on 29/09/2010BRILLIANT! You save me so much time!
By Grateful on 23/09/201030 out of 69 comments shown. See all comments.
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