How to reset your forgotten domain admin password on server 2008 r2

Taylor Gibb is a professional software developer with nearly a decade of experience. He served as Microsoft Regional Director in South Africa for two years and has received multiple Microsoft MVP (Most Valued Professional) awards. He currently works in R&D at Derivco International. Read more.

Forgetting your password is always a pain, but luckily there’s an easy way to reset your Domain Administrator password. All you need is a copy of the Windows Server 2008 R2 installation disk and one simple command line trick.

Replacing Utilman.exe

Boot off the Windows disk and select the “Repair your computer” option from the lower left-hand corner.

Follow through until you get to the option to open the Command Prompt, which you’ll want to select.

First you’ll want to type in the following command to backup the utilman.exe file:

MOVE C:\Windows\System32\Utilman.exe C:\Windows\System32\Utilman.exe.bak

Now you will need to copy cmd.exe and rename it Utilman.exe:

COPY C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe C:\Windows\System32\Utilman.exe

Now you can go ahead and reboot your machine. When its done booting up again and you are at the Logon screen click on the Ease of access icon.

I bet you weren’t expecting that open a command prompt To change the password type:

Once you press enter you will asked to set a new password and then confirm it, when entering your new password don’t worry if you can’t see them as you type, they are invisible, they are however being remembered.

Most users would like to choose Windows 2008 R2 Server Operating Systems as it is the latest and more secured version from Microsoft. If you are a Windows Server 2008 R2 system administrator, you may have faced situations to reset Windows Server 2008 R2 password without knowing the administrator password. There are many reasons for you to do this, the great majority is losing Windows Server 2008 R2 password. This tutorial explains very sample step to reset Windows 2008 R2 domain password within 2 minutes.

There are no many methods you could find out to reset Windows server R2 domain password. Windows Password Key Enterprise is the program you required to reset Windows R2 domain administrator password. I used several methods, but this one is very easy and 100% worked with 2008 R2 domain password. This is very quick as it reset the password straightaway.

Here is how to reset Windows Server 2008 R2 domain password

Step 1: Burn a CD/DVD or USB flash Drive to reset windows 2008 R2 password

Login any available Computer and download Windows Password Key Enterprise, install it in that computer. Plug in your CD or USB Flash drive to the computer and follow the step-by-step guide to burn the ISO image file to a CD/DVD or USB Flash Drive to reset domain password.

Step 2: Set Bios to boot from CD ROM or USB Flash Drive

Insert the burned CD/DVD or USB drive in the computer you want to reset domain password, and then change the BIOS settings of the computer as follows:

1st. Start Windows and press F2 or Delete to enter BISO setup during the initial startup screen.
Note: What key is pressed depends on the manufacturers, but in most cases it is F2 or Delete.

2nd. Use the arrow keys to select the Boot tab, Choose first boot device to CDROM or USB flash drive, and then press F10 to save settings. The computer will restart with the changed settings automatically.

Step 3: Reset Windows 2008 R2 domain password

1st. Restart your computer, and you’ll see the program is initializing.

2nd.Choose the installation path of Windows, and the user account name, the password you want to reset.

3rd.Click reset to begin the password reset process. A few minutes later, it will show you a message about the administrator password has been reset to Re 123456. And now you can log on computer without password.

We did. It’s very simple and finished in less than two minutes. Now you can regain access your operating system and create a new administrator password. Remember that Windows Server 2008 R2 has a password complexity requirement.

The best thing of using this method is that you won’t lose any data. Furthermore, If you can’t find a computer which has a CD/DVD driver or the locked computer have no a CD-ROM, You can burn the ISO image file into a USB flash drive and use the USB flash drive to reset Windows 2008 R2 administrator password.

Try these three processes next time you have lost Windows 2008 R2 domain password, which you do not need to reinstall Windows 2008 R2 system for getting back to Windows by removing lost or forgotten password.

Home » SysAdmin » How to Change or Reset Administrator Password on Windows Server

There may come a time when you need to change the admin password on your Windows Server. Your recovery options depend on whether you remember the old password or not.

If you are routinely changing a known administrator password, you can use the Windows user interface. However, when changing an unknown administrator password, you need to use the command prompt.

Changing Server Administrator Password Windows Server

If you already know the current administrator password, log into your Windows Server, and simply change the password. The steps on how to do so differ depending on the version of Windows you are running.

How to Change the Password on Windows Server 2008 R2/2012

The steps outlined below apply to Windows server versions 2008 R2 and 2012. The only difference between them are steps 2 and 3.

1. Log into the server either directly or by using Remote Desktop.
2. Windows server 2008 R2: Right-click Computer and then select Manage.
   Windows server 2012: Press the Windows key, type Administrative Tools and open the app.
3. Windows server 2008 R2: Select Configuration.
   Windows server 2012: Navigate to Computer Management.
4. Click Local Users and Groups >Users.
5. Find and right-click the Administrator user.
6. Click Set Password >Proceed.
7. Type in and confirm the new password.

How to Change the Password on Windows Server 2016 or 2019

If you are running Windows server 2016 or 2019, change the admin password by following the steps below:

1. Log into the server either directly or by using Remote Desktop.
2. Press the Windows key + i to open Windows Settings.
3. Navigate to Accounts and open the Sign-in Options.
4. Scroll to the Password section and click Change.
5. Provide the current password and click Next.
6. Type in and confirm the new password.

How to Reset Password on Windows Server

What happens when you need to change the admin password because you have lost the old password?

If you don’t have the old password, you can’t access the server to change it. Instead, use the command prompt to reset your administrator password. The following steps can be used on Windows version 2008 R2, 2012, 2016, and 2019.

1. Insert a DVD or USB with the installation and boot the system.
2. On the Language and other preferences screen, click Next.
3. Select the Repair your computer link.

1. The next steps differs according to your Windows version.
   Windows server 2008: Select your OS installation and click Next.
   Windows server 2012/2016/2019: Select Troubleshoot.

1. Click Command Prompt.
2. Type in the following:

The command above makes a backup of the utility manager.

This command replaces Utilman with the Command Prompt. That is necessary to reset the password.

The commands mentioned above may vary based on the path of your Windows install. In our example, it is on the C drive. In case your install is located on another disk partition, modify the command accordingly.

1. Reboot the system.
2. Select the Ease of Access icon.
3. Type in the following:

1. Type in and confirm your desired password.

Once completed, you will be able to log in as admin. However, don’t forget to revert your changes to Utilman. To do so,

1. Reboot the computer again from the installation disk.
2. Open the Command Prompt.
3. Run the following:

Restart your server once again and you’re done.

How to Recover Windows Server Password With Password Recovery Disk

If you have created a password recovery disk for your server, insert the USB stick into the server and then reboot the system.

1. When prompted to log in, click the Reset Password link.
2. In the Forgotten Password wizard, click Next until you are prompted for the location of the password disk.
3. Select the password reset disk and then follow the instructions to set a new password.
4. Reboot your computer and log in with the new password.

This how-to article covered three distinct use cases:

1. Changing an admin password you know. If you already know your administrator password, changing it is as simple as navigating to the Users area on your server and selecting to change the admin password.
2. Resetting an admin password you don’t know. If you don’t remember your administrator password, you can use the Command Prompt window to reset it. Resetting works for both Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2012.
3. Using a Password Recovery Disk. If you don’t remember your administrator password, but you previously created a password recovery disk, you can use that disk to reset a forgotten password.

Whatever your use case may be, by following this guide, you will be able to reset a Windows Server admin password.

If you are using Windows Server 2008/R2 and unfortunately forgot the administrator password, this tutorial is helpful for you! It describes a fast and 100% secure way to reset forgotten local/domain administrator password for Windows Server 2008/R2.

Windows Password Rescuer Advanced is a powerful Windows password recovery software which can easily reset Windows local and domain accounts password without data loss. It works for Windows 10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP and Windows server 2000/2003/2008/2012/2016/2019/2022. It also can be used to create new admin account to your computer without logon.

Section One: Download and install Windows Password Rescuer Advanced on “another computer”.

Step 1: Purchase Windows Password Rescuer Advanced, after payment you will receive a retail version and licence. Then get the full Windows Password Rescuer Advanced and install it.

Step 2: Create a Windows Password Recovery Disk with CD/DVD or USB Flash Drive.

1. Run the software, insert a writable CD/DVD or USB flash drive and choose the Burning option.

2. Choose media drive name from pull-down list. Click Begin Burning to start burning. When successfully complete burning, transfer the CD/DVD or USB to your server computer for resetting Windows server 2008 password.

Section Two: Reset Windows server 2008 Local or Domain Account Password.

To reset password in Windows server 2008, Windows Password Rescuer Advanced has to run on your Server computer. So you need to set your server computer to boot from CD/DVD/USB (The Windows password recovery disk).

You just need to change the devices boot order on BIOS SETUP table. More details please refer to: How to boot from CD/DVD-ROM.or How to boot from USB. When you save the new setting and exit, your computer will restart and boot from CD/USB, and Windows Password Rescuer will run automatically and display a friendly interface for resetting Windows password.

Option one: Reset Windows server 2008 password administrator/user password

When your server computer boot from the Windows password recovery disk, Windows Password Rescuer Advanced will run and display a friendly interface and you can reset any user account password easily! Now see how to reset Windows server 2008 LOCAL or DOMAIN account password.

1. Click a user account from list and click Reset Password.

Note: If your server 2008 works on a workgroup, all local user accounts will be displayed. If it works as a domain controller, only Administrator and Guest will be displayed. If you want to reset a domain member’s password, please refer to Option Two.

2. Click Yes that you want to reset the administrator password as [email protected].

3. The administrator password has been reset to a new one.

4. Click Reboot, when a confirm message pops up, remove the Windows password recovery disk and click Yes. After restarting, you can logon Windows server 2008/R2 as administrator with new password [email protected].

Option Two: Reset domain member password or Create new admin account.

Windows Password Rescuer Advanced allows users to create new admin account to Windows system without logging. This function also can be used to reset other other domain members’ password.

If you want to reset other domain member’s password, because other domain users will not be displayed, so please click Add User button to add it first. When a password reset dialog pops up, type in the username which you want to reset its password, click OK.

Then the user account will be displayed in list and its password has been reset as [email protected]. After rebooting you can logon that user account with new password.

If you just need to create a new user account to Windows server 2008, please type a username which is different from other user accounts and click OK button. Then a new user account with admin privileges will be created successfully.

After reboot you can logon that user account with password “[email protected]“. You can check it in the Active Directory Users and Computers.

How to reset the domain administrator password on Windows Server 2008

April 3, 2012 by Peter Bursky

This probably should never happen, but there’s always that odd case when the domain administrator password simply disappears. If you did your job right, you would normally dig out your notes with the backup domain administrator details and use that to reset the administrator password. But . . . You don’t always have the luxury. Than you’ll have to find some other way. The scope of this article is to show you that other way.

The basic idea is to boot from the install DVD, open the command prompt, rename the Utilman.exe file and copy Cmd.exe in place of the Utilman.exe. When the server restarts, a command prompt can be brought up with full domain administrator permissions allowing to change the domain administrator password. For detailed instructions read on.

Boot the server using the install DVD. Select the language settings of your choice and continue to the following screen by clicking Next

Select Repair your computer

Make sure your operating system is listed, if not use the Load Driver button to provide drivers for storage controllers not recognized by the system. When the selected system is correct, click Next to continue.

On the Choose a recovery tool screen select the Command Prompt option.

When the command prompt opens, Navigate to the system drive – depending on the system and configuration, it could have the letter C: or D: assigned. Change to Windows folder and than to folder System32.

Next step is to rename the Utilman.exe file. This file provides the Easy Access functionality – either using the icon on the left bottom of the screen or using the Win+U key combination. To rename the file, type in the following command:

> move Utilman.exe Utilman.exe.bak

Followed by copying the Cmd.exe file in place of Utilman.exe:

> copy Cmd.exe Utilman.exe

At this point you can close out of the command prompt and restart the server. Wait until you will be prompted to log in. When the logon screen appears, you can either use the keyboard combination Windows+U or click the ease of use icon on the left bottom side of the logon screen.

These commands would normally bring up the Ease of use screen, but since we replaced it’s EXE with the command prompt exe, you will be presented with this command prompt. And the icing on the top of the cake is that this command prompt has full domain administrator permissions.

From this command prompt you can run any tool as you like, but to make things as simple as possible i would open the Active Directory Users and Computers tool – dsa.msc. Once the tool is opened, i can check the properties of the Administrator user.

You might need to enable the Administrator account as it is disabled by default.

Once the account is enabled, you can reset the password. Just right click the administrator account and select the Reset password option.

Last but not least, type in the new administrator password, tick the Unlock the user’s account (just to be sure) and click OK to confirm the change. Make sure you make note of the new – you don’t want to end up in this same situation in a few month time again.

Always forgot the domain user account password on Windows server 2008 and want to change a new simple one? Sadly, you have no idea how to have this password reset? Normally, the domain user password can be changed by logging into domain controller using the administrator account. So in this tutorial we will guide you how to reset domain user password on Windows Server 2008 domain controller.

Part 1: Common Ways to Change Domain User Password on Windows Server 2008

Method 1: From Active Directory Users and Computers

This is the easiest way to change domain user password on Windows server 2008 R2. All you need to do is logging on domain controller with administrator rights and follow steps below:

Click on the Start button located at the left bottom corner of the screen, then select All Programs > Administrative Tools > Active Directory Users and Computer.

When the Active Directory Users and Computers windows appears, simply select Users from the left panel, locate your user account.

Next, right click on your user name, select Reset Password from the list.

Then enter the new password and confirm the password successively. After all these, just hit the OK button to close the windows.

Method 2: Using Command Line

Also, you can try to reset the domain admin and user password using the command if you are a tech pro.

Now, click on the Start button, and locate and hit Accessories>>Command Prompt. Then right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator from the list.

After that, you’ve entered the command windows. Here, you can run the net user as below to change your domain user password.

net user /domain

Then you can successfully reset your domain user or admin password from command line.

Super easy, isn’t it? But all these two methods are workable providing that you have the domain admin right. What if you don’t have the admin right, then you have to look for an alternate way to change the domain user password.

Part 2: Ultmate Way to Reset Domain User Password Using Windows Password Key

Here I’ll show you an ultimate way to recover domain user password on Windows Server with help of the Windows Password Key, which enables you to effectively reset Windows local or domain user/admin password on Windows server 2012/2008/2003/2000. Now grab the latest Windows Password Key Enterprise and install on any available computer.

Step 1: Launch this password reset tool and insert a blank CD or USB Flash Drive to computer and click “Burn” to begin bootable disk creation. Once done, simply reject it.

Step 2: Insert the newly created CD/USB Flash Drive to your Windows server, then choose the Windows Server 2008 and hit Next button.

Step 3: Next, select the Active Directory account from the user name list, tick Change Domain Password and hit Next button to proceed.

Step 4: After that, type in the new password you would like to change to and confirm the password you entered to have the password changed.

Step 5: Then, you just need to click on Reboot button to reboot your PC. Once completed, you will find that the password has been reset to the target one.

I hope you now got a clear idea of how to reset the domain user account password on Windows server 2008. If you this article is helpful to have the password changed, please kindly share it with your friends who have encountered the same issue.

Why “Lord of The Ping” ? It’s a bit complicated, but yes it’s a mix of a famous movie and Networking’s most famous command.

16 May 2009

how to reset domain admin password on a Windows Server 2008

I did not use my tests Virtual Machines for some times just after installing them. I forgot the domain admin password :'(
I found a hack for Vista, that i reused for my Windows Server 2008 Domain controller !
I just pushed it a litlle further by only using the official Windows Server 2008 DVD from Microsoft instead of backtrack 🙂

For people in hurry, here are the steps:

• Boot onto DVD of Windows Server 2008
• Choose “Repair your computer”
• Launch cmd
• Go to c:\windows\system32
• Rename Utilman.exe to Utilman.exe.bak
• Copy cmd.exe to Utilman.exe
• Reboot on Windows
• Do the keyboard shortcut Windows + U when on the logon screen
• net user administrator Newpass123 inside the cmd
• log on with the domain admin account and this new pass
• change the password to remember it if needed
• Reboot on the DVD to put back the original Utilman.exe

9 comments:

Worked like a charm; I was on 2008 Enterprise and this did it more easily than anything else.

mec je t’adore . man I love you. so far the only thing that work nice to recover from domain password lost !

Even works on Windows 2008 R2.

Still working on 2k8 r2.
if target is a vm, just map the system disc into explorer and go on.

btw: thx for posting !

Your are my hero. Thanks for posting this. Worked succesfully on a Windows 2008 R2 Enterprise server.

Dindn’t work for me. The utilman.exe doesn’t exist in c:\windows\system32\

Someone has any other ideas?

Ow my god, i’ve been searching for this for some time now, and it’s this simple, worked like a charm on R2! Thanx for posting!

Worked great for a local administrator account on a non-domain Windows 2008 R2 Standard system. Thanks for the great article.

I was trying to get this to work on XP Pro that is part of a w2k3 domain with no luck. Any ideas?

When you order a VPS with Windows Server (2008 or 2012 R2), you will get the option to select your own ‘Administrator‘-password. It is very important that you carefully store this password (as we have no access / insight into it and can never supply you with this password ourselves). Should you however forget this Administrator password or lose it in another way, there are 2 options that may be used to reset the Administrator password:

Using another Administrator account

When you possess another account with Administrator right to which you do know the password, or if you have saved the credentials through your RDP-client, you can use that to login into Windows Server. Once logged in you can use the following guide to reset the password of the ‘Administrator’ account.

Reset your administrator password

If you unfortunately do not posses another account and have no other way of retrieving the password for the Administrator-account, you can use the consoles ‘Linux Boot rescue mode‘ to reset the password.

Step 1

Go to the console in the control panel and click on ‘Options‘ in the top of the window followed by ‘Boot Linux rescue mode‘.

Step 2

If your VPS hasn’t shut down properly, most likely when not using the Windows start button > power > shut down, step 3 may prompt an error ‘The disk contains an unclean file system‘. This can be prevented/fixed with the command:

Step 3

Create a mount point and mount your VPS’ hard disk to it using the commands:

Step 4

Switch to the system32 folder:

Step 5

Verander de naam van het programma Utilman.exe (a built in Windows application that is designed to allow the user to configure Accessibility options such as the on screen keyboard before logging into Windows).

Step 6

Copy cmd (the Windows command prompt) and name the copy Utilman.exe

Step 7

Unmount your Windows drive again:

Step 8

Reboot the server by using the button ‘Reset‘ below the console. Do not use a reboot command as it will result in a network boot and you will see the installation screen of your OS instead of your login screen.

Step 9

Select the accessibility icon which will start ‘CMD‘.

Step 10

Now, reset your password with the command (see the last screenshot):

Replace ‘newpassword’ with the password you’d like to use. We assume in this step you’re changing the password for the user ‘Administrator’, but you’re welcome to change the username to another existing username.

Step 11 – optional

You should be able to use this ‘new’ to log onto Windows Server again. If you want the accessibility options restored from the logon screen, navigate to /windows/Windows/System32/ , delete Utilman.exe and rename Utilman.exe.bak to Utilman.exe again.

This concludes our tutorial on resetting your Windows administrator password.

Should you have any questions left regarding this article, do not hesitate to contact our support department. You can reach them via the ‘ContactUs’ button at the bottom of this page.

If you want to discuss this article with other users, please leave a message under ‘Comments‘.

This article describes how to reset the Directory Services Restore Mode (DSRM) administrator password for any server in your domain without restarting the server in DSRM.

Applies to: В Windows Server 2003
Original KB number: В 322672

Summary

Microsoft Windows 2000 uses the Setpwd utility to reset the DSRM password. In Microsoft Windows Server 2003, that functionality has been integrated into the NTDSUTIL tool. Note that you can’t use the procedure that is described in this article if the target server is running in DSRM. A member of the Domain Administrators group sets the DSRM administrator password during the promotion process for the domain controller. You can use Ntdsutil.exe to reset this password for the server on which you’re working, or for another domain controller in the domain.

Reset the DSRM administrator password

Click Start > Run, type ntdsutil, and then click OK.

At the Ntdsutil command prompt, type set dsrm password.

At the DSRM command prompt, type one of the following lines:

• To reset the password on the server on which you’re working, type reset password on server null. The null variable assumes that the DSRM password is being reset on the local computer. Type the new password when you’re prompted. Note that no characters appear while you type the password.

• To reset the password for another server, type reset password on server servername, where servername is the DNS name for the server on which you’re resetting the DSRM password. Type the new password when you’re prompted. Note that no characters appear while you type the password.

At the DSRM command prompt, type q.

At the Ntdsutil command prompt, type q to exit.

Are you worried about what would ensue upon forgetting your Windows Server 2012 administrator password? Yes of course, to worry on being locked out of your own computer system is a serious matter of concern which cannot be taken for granted. Many a times, in order to make it safer than the usual, you prefer to procure a very complicated password combination so that no one can decipher the pattern easily. But in due course of time, you forget it and fail to enter the same while starting the system. Formatting the hard disk can prove to be a fatal attempt as all the data your system possesses are most likely to be erased. So it is really a very bad idea. But there are many other tricks and trades that can be implemented to bypass the password protection if password forgotten.

If your computer is linked with a domain then simply sign in to it with a user profile which is associated with the Domain Admin group. You should be able to modify the password of your local administrator account password. But unfortunately, if it is not on a domain or if your domain account has no authority to change the password of your local administrator password then you can only use a password recovery tool like in the Part 3 to accomplish this task.

• Method 1: Reset Windows Server 2012 Password With Setup Disk
• Method 2: Rest Windows Server 2012 Admin Password with Password Reset Tool
• Method 3: Take Your Computer to the Nearest Repair Shop

Method 1: Reset Windows Server 2012 Password With Setup Disk

This particular part is specially for Domain administrator users who lost their password. You will be required to have the Windows Server 2012 disc with you to make this part work. So here is the most detailed process which I did on a Windows 2008 Server running on VMware Workstation. The whole process is remarkably safe but not easy.

Step 1. Insert the bootable Windows Server 2102 disk on your PC and reboot your PC.

Step 2. Choose “Repair your computer” when prompted to ask and continue.

Step 3. Next, select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt.

Step 4. Now, type the following command and press.

“MOVE C:\Windows\System32\Utilman.exe C:\Windows\System32\Utilman.exe.bak”

Step 5. This will backup the utilman.exe on your primary drive. Reboot your PC and on the login screen, press Windows key to launch the command prompt.

Step 6. Now, copy the following command line and press enter to change your computer password.

“net user administrator thenewpassword”

Kindly replace “thenewpassword” with any characters of your choice which you desire to make your PC password.

• High level of computer expertise is needed.
• Not recommended for newbies, it easily leads to data loss or system crashes.
• This method has no any graphical interfaces which might not be good for most of new users.

Method 2: Rest Windows Server 2012 Admin Password with Password Reset Tool

If you do not want to take your computer to service center and want to fix the problem by yourself in a much cheaper price then unlocking your computer with a password recovery tool is the best option. In this guide, we will be using the advanced version of iSeePassword program to reset your Windows 2102 password.

iSeePassword Windows Recovery Advanced is a desktop program that you need to install on a working computer. Then, you can create a password reset disk with the help of this program what will be further used to reset password of your main computer. It can perfectly reset any account password like administrator, root and domain users without reinstalling system or wiping data. It just burn a WinPE file to USB or DVD/CD, then remove SAM file in your system, never damage or modify your system file. You can even reset Microsoft account passwords. Moreover, you can even add new administrator accounts and use them to access your PC normally.

Top Features of iSeePassword Windows Password Recovery Advanced

• Reset local, administrator and guest account passwords on Windows without losing data.
• Two ways to create bootable reset disk with CD/DVD or USB flash drive.
• Support 2000+ brand computer like Dell, HP, Auss, Sony and more.
• Compatible with all Windows versions such as Windows 7/8/10/98/95/2000/NT and also with Windows 2003/2008/2012/2016.

1 Download Program on Another Working Computer

Download and install the advanced version of this program on any accessible PC. Then you need to prepare a USB or DVD/CD for making a reset disk.

NOTE: With trial version, you can track all the accounts linked on your PC but if you want to unlock your system then kindly register the program.

2 Create a Bootable Password Reset Disk with USB or DVD/CD

Insert a USB drive on your PC and let it get recognized by the program automatically. Click on “Burn USB” from the main screen of the program and you will be able to see the progress bar as the program burns the ISO image file into your USB drive.

3 Insert the USB to Your Locked Windows 2003 Computer and Boot PC from USB

Remove the USB drive from the borrowed computer and insert it on your personal Windows 2013 system. You need to change the BIOS boot order so that the computer can be boot from USB reset disk. It’s easy to set.. jsut reboot your computer and type Del, F12, F2 or other certain keyboard to enter into BIOS settings.

4 Start to Reset Your Password, then Reboot Your Computer

Reboot the computer and wait for your monitor to display the recovery tool. It will shows your Windows 2013 system and the all accounts in it. You will have to choose the Windows OS version and the account you want to reset. Then, click once on “Reset Password”, your password will be reset to blank. And restart your PC.

Your problem is resolved now! Your computer won’t ask any password and will welcome you normally like before.

Method 3: Take your Computer to the Nearest Repair Shop

If you are not a computer person then the best option is to take your computer to the nearest computer repair shop or service center. Please remember, most service centers re-install the Windows operating system that could erase all the data from your computer. So, if you don’t want to erase any files or software from your computer then we will recommend to use iSeePassword program and suggest the computer expert to use this program to bypass your Windows server 2012 R2 administrator password rather than formatting it.

Conclusion

For your safety and precaution, remember to create a password reset disk for your PC so that you can reset the password of your computer if you forgot it again. But never worry, iSeePassword program always helps to create your own password reset disk automatically that you can use to unlock any kind of Windows computer including your Windows server 2013. Please do not use this program for hacking or illegal purpose and use it only on your personal computers.

Vicky is a professional Windows technology author with many experience, focusing on computer technology. She’s very much enjoy helping people find solutions to their problems. Her knowledge and passion always drive her to discover everything about technology.

How do I reset administrator password on Windows Server 2012 R2 that’s running on VMware Workstation without deleting any files? A long time away from using the machine, now I can’t access it since I forgot the login password.

It comes the time that for some reason you may forget Windows Server 2012 administrator password and locked yourself out of computer. Before going further, if your Server 2012 (R2) machine is a DC in the domain, the first thing you should do is check if there is any other user that has admin privileges. If so, you can use that user to reset Windows server 2012 admin password.

If you have no other administrator account, there is no need to worry, a lot of Windows Server 2012 password reset or recovery tools out there have made it easy for you to recover or reset password in Windows Server 2012 R2 and get you back in to system again.

Option 1: Reset Server 2012 password with installation CD

Losing password in Windows Server 2012 R2 seems scary at first, but luckily there’s a quick fix that will solve your problem. If you have a server 2012 Installation disk, you can easily reset administrator password on server computer.

• Insert the Windows Server 2012 installation CD/DVD and boot from it.
• From the Install Windows menu, click Next >Repair your computer.
• On the Choose and option interface, click on Troubleshoot.
• On the Advanced options interface, click Command Prompt.
• When command prompt pops up, type the following commands:

ren Utilman.exe Utilman.exe.old

copy cmd.exe Utilman.exe

6. Unmount the Windows Device

Change to the root directory.

Unmount the Windows device.

7. Remove ISO and Reboot

1. Navigate to the Server Information page in the Customer Portal.
2. Click Settings.
3. Click Custom ISO.
4. Click the large Remove ISO button, which will spawn a popup.
5. To confirm removal and reboot the VPS, click the Remove ISO button on the popup.

8. Login and Set a Strong Password.

You must log in to the server through the web console to set a new password. Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) does not allow login with blank passwords.

1. Log in with your username, and leave the password field empty. The password reset procedure with SystemRescue completely removes the password.
2. Click the Send CtrlAltDel button, located in the upper-right of the web console.
3. Enter a new, strong password for your user account in Windows.

Conclusion

With the password reset, you can resume using Windows as usual.

By Vladan SEGET | Last Updated: July 23, 2014

What to do when you inherit an environment after previous admin left the company without leaving the domain admin password? How-to Reset the Windows Domain Administrator Password? Is there a easy way to do it? That was questions which I tried to quickly resolve and I thought that most of you might get interested as well. All depends of the environment you’re working with and also the BIOS or EFI configuration of the domain controler.

If your DC is a virtual machine or physical server, you’ll need to have physical access to the server or access to the underlying virtualization management platform (ESXi, Hyper-V, Xen…) via some management console. In VMware you’ll use vSphere client. You’ll need a 2012R2 ISO which will get attached to the VM during the boot or DVD if you’re running on physical system.

Reset Windows Domain Administrator Password – The steps

The target is the Windows/system32 folder, so depending how the boot disk is organized with partitions, the drive letter might differ. Let’s assume that the drive letter is D:

01. Attach a W2012R2 ISO to the VM > Boot on the ISO > Click Next when Windows Setup loads and hit Shift + F10.

This opens a command prompt. Change directory and place yourself in windows/system32. There we’ll need to do some “hacking”….

(makes copy of utilman.exe called utilman.exe.old and place it in the same directory)

(overwrite utilman.exe with cmd.exe)

02. Now reboot the VM and hit the icon as on this screenshot… This bring up a command prompt!

03. Change the domain administrator’s password with this command

net user administrator password1234

04. Clean-up > Reboot the host with an ISO attached once more > Shift +F10 > command prompt…

With a reverse steps now:

the /Y is to overwrite the file without prompt…

All done. Disconnect the ISO and reboot the VM. You can now log in with the new password.

Note: I had a trouble showing the local disk with the partitions. In fact the virtual machine DC was configure to use EFI (not BIOS) firmware. To test this how-to I created a secondary DC with BIOS as boot firmware. The test worked, but how to find out about the partitioning of EFI firmware which causes problem?

I took a screenshot showing the difference between VMs configured with BIOS or EFI firmware boot options. The option can be found in VM > properties > Options > Boot Options.

Well obviously when you want to change from EFI to BIOS firmware just like that the VM won’t boot… It’s certainly the boot sector pointing to the wrong partition, but why in the WinPE environment there are no local disks showing?

So I’d have to look for a solution on that as I’m really curious on how to solve it. This scenario can happen, you can encounter a VM or physical system configured to booting of with EFI and then the solution described here just don’t work. If you have a solution, leave comment so I can update the post. Share with others… -:)

We had a customer who likes to change the administrator password. One day the password was changed and forgotten. We have RMM with service level access to the server, but could not log in to the server using the standard administrator username and password. We also neglected to set up a separate username and password for account recovery.

So, our only alternative was to reset the username and password via the command prompt. Using NinjaRMM at the service level, we were able to open a command prompt and reset the domain username and password. We found the article here from Top Password: which helped with the steps below:

1. Login to your RMM service
2. Open command prompt as system service, not logged on user
3. type “net user Administrator [email protected] /domain” (change the [email protected] to your desired password)
4. You should see “The command completed successfully.”

ABOUT THE ADVYON NAME

The name ADVYON was concieved from combining the words Advice and Beyond. When ADVYON was first conceptualized, it was to be a non profit company whose mission was to help other non profit companies with technology needs. Today, we have broadened our market to serve all. We still like to help others and have kept our core beliefs in helping our partners and community grow to build a better tomorrow.

a blog about virtualization

How to recover SA password on Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2

When you are using MS SQL Server in mixed mode, it is very important that you know your SA password.

There can be different reasons you lost the password

• Person who installed the SQL Server knows the password but has left the building.
• You did not write down the password in your password file
• Password file is lost
• …

97 Replies to “How to recover SA password on Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2”

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I also find other 3 methods to reset forgotten SA password, learn more details at:

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I was having the same problem but finally found a solution, now I just can’t login, i’ve been able to create the user but somehow I keep getting a Login failed for user ‘recovery’ (Even when copying user and password straight from the console statement)

sqlcmd-S .\
or
sqlcmd -S \

e.g.
sqlcmd-S HOMEPC\SQLSERVER2

It’s not Working properly……It’s getting Occur
Sqlcmd: Error:Sqlserver Native Client 10.0 login Timeout Expaired…

How to solve it…

Can you send me the steps you followed and where it went wrong??

SQLCMD -E -S ‘server_name\db_name’

to solve “Sqlcmd: Error:Sqlserver Native Client 10.0 login Timeout Expired” error. Worked terrific after that, thank you!

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Thank you!
Had to use:
sqlcmd -S
othewise it would not connect to any instance. Also if you cut and paste from this web page, re-type the single quotes to avoid syntax errors.

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Just a few tips:

Since you’re in single-user mode, you may receive the following error:

“Login failed for user ‘[user]’. Reason: Server is in single user mode. Only one administrator can connect at this time. (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 18461).

To resolve this, make sure you stop SSAS and SSRS and SQL Server Agent for the instance that you’re working with. You can then get in.

Also, if you have direct access to the server, you’ll be able to login to SQL Management Studio (if installed) and then do your management through the GUI.

For my case, I needed to get my network account to authenticate on my local PC, which was being denied because someone else installed SQL on my machine. I was part of the Administrators group, so it let me take it over.

Thanks a million times Derek. This one worked so well for me as I had the same problem.

Windows Server is a top-notch feature from Microsoft to manage resources for other computers. Keeping in view its importance, you should protect it with a password. Furthermore, there is also a default password for every application, but there is no default Windows Server password in this case. You may find yourself in hot water when you forget your password. However, in the latest Windows Server version, the default version is either set empty, or you can use Password123.

This blog will discuss the Windows server change password with authentic methods to resolve your windows server password. Besides this, we’ll discuss how you can use iToolab UnlockGo for Windows to eliminate all Windows-related problems. The tool can help you unlock your PC or any other device’s passwords.

Windows Server 2008/2012/2016/2019 Change Password

If you’re wondering, “How to change the password on Windows Server 2012?” then this section will help you change it. It’s worth noting that the ways to change windows server passwords are pretty different, but you should know the password to implement these methods.

1. If You Know the Password

• Way 1. Change Password using Command Line
• Way 2. Change Administrator Password in Windows Server 2012
• Way 3. Change Password in Windows Server 2008 R2

Way 1. Change Password using Command Line

1. Type in cmd in the Start Menu.
2. Right-click on the Command Prompt and click on the Run as administrator.

Note: NEWPASS is the new password that you want to set. For Windows Server 2019, you need to click on the Start > Scroll to Windows System > Command Prompt.

Way 2. Change Administrator Password in Windows Server 2012

1. Log in to the server through a Remote Desktop.
2. Press the Windows Key and type Administrative Tools.
3. Double click on Computer Management and expand the Local Users and Groups.
4. Click on Users and then right-click on the Administrator.
5. Now, click on the Set Password > Proceed. Type the new password and press the OK button to finish.

Way 3. Change Password in Windows Server 2008 R2

1. Log into Windows Server through a Remote Desktop.
2. Right-click on Computer and click on the Manage button.
3. Double Click the Configuration and expand Local Users and Groups.
4. Select Users and Right-click on the Administrator.
5. Select the Set Password and then tap on the Proceed button. Type the new password and click on the OK button.

2. If You don’t know the password

• Way 1. Using iToolab Windows (for all Windows server versions)
• Way 2. Using Installation CD (for windows server 2019)

Way 1. Using iToolab Windows (for all Windows server versions)

If you wish to change the administrator password to windows server 2012, then iToolab UnlockGo for Windows is a perfect tool to look for. Follow these steps to master the process of changing windows server passwords or to reset your Windows password easily.

Step 1. Download and install the iToolab UnlockGo for windows on another computer. Create a password reset disc on CD/DVD or a USB. Click on the Next button to continue. The reset disc creation will take some time to complete.

Step 2. Attach the device with your locked windows server PC and restart the computer. Enter the boot menu by pressing the respective keys and use the arrow keys to move to the password reset disc option, and press Enter key to select it.

Step 3. Your computer will restart, now select the Window Server version and click on the Next button. Select your account by clicking either Remove Account Password or Reset Account Password. Now, click on the Next button > Restart button to finish.

Way 2. Using Installation CD (for windows server 2019)

Attach the Windows Server 2019 DVD with your computer. Press a particular key, i.e., F12, F2, ESC, etc., to enter the boot selection menu while restarting your computer. Use arrow keys to select the DVD and press the Enter key.

Press the Shift and F10 Key to open the Command Prompt on the Windows Setup page.

Congratulations, the password has changed.

Summary

People often wonder about methods to windows server change passwords to access what they’re not able to. Before anything else, they need to change the password policy in windows server 2012. To change the procedure, you need to perform the following steps: Open the Windows Server Essentials Dashboard > Users > Users Task pane > Set the password policy. pen the Change the Password policy and set the slider’s password strength level. Microsoft recommends you to slide to Strong.

Once you’re done with the policy change, you’re all set to change the password for enhanced security. But, if you happen to forget it, you can set a new one using the methods mentioned above. Moreover, you can use iToolab UnlockGo for Windows to unlock all types of windows passwords, including windows server passwords.

“”unfortunatelyВ We have lost the administrator password on a Windows Server 2003 computer which is always used in our school. Is there any way to recover the lost local admin password without reinstalling system?” – A customer.

Windows Server 2003 or any other Windows server version is the most favorite operating system for all the users who likes to work VPNs and other routing networks. The clashes with IP tables and protocols are actually protected in Windows Server 2003, so you won’t have setting up your own virtual networks. Like any other Windows operating system, you can and you should protect your system with a lock screen password so that no intruders or trespassers can hack into your account. Now, if you are protecting your computer with very secure strong passwords then there’s no wonder that you might end up misplacing your password and lock yourself out. This can be a disastrous moment considering all the important apps and software installed inside your computer will be inaccessible if you don’t remember your password.

Thankfully, you can easily reset your Windows Server 2003 local and domain administrator password by following the solutions shared in this guide.

• Method 1: Try to Re-install Windows Server 2003
• Method 2: Reset Password on Windows Server 2003 With Ophcrack
• Method 3: Bypass Windows Server 2003 Administrator Password with Password Recovery Tool

Method 1: Try to Re-install Windows Server 2003

If you have a complete backup of your computer then you can easily remove the password from your computer by formatting the primary hard disk and install the operating system all over again. This would totally get rid of the password but please keep in mind that all the data and applications will be removed from the primary disk as well.

Step 1. Insert the bootable disc to your Windows 2003. Reboot the system and wait for the Windows to load its files on the startup screen. ws Server 2003 disc on your locked computer.

Step 2. Reboot the system and wait for the Windows to load its files on the startup screen.

Step 3. Check where to install the operating system and hit “Install Now”.

Step 4. It may take some time to install the operating system and remember not to turn of your PC during the process to avoid any disturbance.

• All unsaved documents and apps will be lost.
• Not recommended method.
• This method has no any graphical interfaces which might not be good for most of new users.

Method 2: Reset Password on Windows Server 2003 With Ophcrack

Ophcrack is an old password recovery tool that can actually recover simple passwords by running brute force simulation attacks. Please remember, it can only crack up to 6 characters passwords and works perfectly with all Windows Server operating systems.

Step 1. Download the ISO image of Ophcrack from its official website and burn the file on a USB driver.

Step 2. Use the bootable flash drive on your protected PC and Ophcrack should appear on the main screen.

Step 3. Select “Ophcrack Graphical Mode – Automatic” and press Enter.

Step 4. Ophcrack will now start the brute force attack to crack your password and it may take several hours depending on the strength of your password. Once it is cracked, your password will appear on the main interface of the program.

• Outdated tool and cannot crack passwords more than 6 words. and quite time-consuming.
• Doesn’t work with latest Windows 8 and Windows 10.
• 649MB / 425MB LiveCD ISO image must be downloaded.
• Some antivirus programs mistakenly identify Ophcrack as a Trojan or virus.

Method 3: Bypass Windows Server 2003 with Password Recovery Tool

Apparently, the above methods have its certain limitations that are hard to overcome. Luckily, we are saving the best solution for the last. In this part, we will be taking help from iSeePassword Windows Password Recovery (Advanced Version) to reset Windows Server 2003 administrator password without losing any data and reinstalling system. The program is widely used for unlocking password protected Windows computers even if you can’t remember your password. Basically, it helps to reset Windows lock screen password by creating password reset disk with USB thumb drive and CD/DVD. It also can reset Microsoft Account passwords as well. Exclusively available with the advanced version.

Top Features of iSeePassword Windows Password Recovery Advanced

• Unlock any kind of Windows computer with just 3 simple steps without losing data.
• Two ways to create bootable reset disk with CD/DVD or USB flash drive.
• Reset local, administrator and guest account passwords.
• Perfectly compatible with all Windows versions such as Windows 7/8/10/98/95/2000/NT and also with Windows 2003/2008/2012/2016.

1 Download and Install Windows Password Recovery on Another Working Computer

Borrow a Windows computer or laptop from anyone and install the Windows password recovery tool on their computer. It’s just because you can’t access your PC right now. Launch the tool and plug in a USB thumb drive. (Preferably with at least 1 GB)

2 Create a Bootable Password Reset Disk

Click on “Burn USB” from the main interface of the program, it will take a few seconds to burn and will show a “Burning Successfully” in the a box. Then your USB drive has now become a bootable password reset disk.

3 Insert the USB to Your Locked Windows 2003 Computer and Boot PC from USB

Insert the newly-created USB reset disk to your locked Windows Server computer. To make your PC is boot from USB. You need make to some settings in BIOS. You need to change the BIOS boot order so the USB device option is listed first. Reboot your computer and type Del, F12, F2 or other certain keyboard to enter into BIOS settings.

4 Start to Reset Your Password, then Reboot Your Computer

After settings USB as the first boot order in the BIOS, then reboot your computer. Wait for the program to appear on the monitor then choose the username that you wish to unlock. Next, hit on “Reset Password” and then simply reboot your PC.

All Set! Your computer is now unlocked, you may now access it normally.

Conclusion

Windows Server 2003 is rather an older operating system that might be hard to unlock if you don’t know the right tricks. Thankfully, iSeePassword Windows Password Recovery Advanced can actually reset your computer password without effecting any data inside your PC. No need to take your computer to any repair center who may overcharge you but rather take charge yourself and unlock your PC with Windows Password Recovery program.

Vicky is a professional Windows technology author with many experience, focusing on computer technology. She’s very much enjoy helping people find solutions to their problems. Her knowledge and passion always drive her to discover everything about technology.

“I lost my windows server 2012 password on a dell raid server and didn’t create a password reset disk, is there any way to reset the password? Please help me. Thank you!”

Forgetting your Windows password is always a pain especially when you lost the password on Windows server as resetting Windows server Raid password is more complicated. Don’t worry! Here we collect the top 3 ways to recover lost local/domain administrator password for Windows 2016/2012/2008 Raid server.

Method 1: Reset Admin Password for Windows Raid Server with Windows Password Key

Since most ways to reset a windows login password on a common desktop and laptop computer may not work with a Windows Raid server, the easiest and most reliable way to reset lost password on Windows raid server is using professional server password recovery software.

Windows Password Key is exactly the tool you need. It can recover lost local/domain administrator password for Windows 2016/2012/2008 Raid server and fully supports RAID 1, RAID 0+1, RAID 2, RAID 3, RAID 4, RAID 5, RAID 5e, RAID 5ee, RAID 50, RAID 6.

Download Windows Password Key in any computer you can access. Run the software after the installation.

Follow steps below to create a Windows password recovery tool USB/CD:

1. Insert a CD/DVD disk or USB flash to the workable computer.
2. Specify the CD / USB burning drive and click “Burn” start burning an ISO image file to your chosen media.

After that, Windows Password Key appears on your screen. Select the target Windows system user account you want to reset and click “Next” to reset the password.

Method 2: Reset Password on Windows Server Raid Computer Using Command Prompt

If you have your Windows Server installation DVD, it also can help you reset Windows Server administrator password with Command Prompt. You can do the following:

• Boot your computer from the installation disk. When the Windows Setup screen appears, click on Next.
• Select Repair your computer > Troubleshoot > Command Prompt.
• Type in and execute the copy command like this:

d:
cd windows\system32
ren Utilman.exe Utilman.exe.old
copy cmd.exe Utilman.exe

The server should now boot and present the logon screen. Here click Windows Key + U.

At the prompt you can now change the password, by typing the following command: net user administrator Password123

This will set the password for the Administrator user to be Password123 (case sensitive). Closing the command prompt, you should now be able to log back onto the server with the new password. Don’t forget to delete the newly created Utilman.exe from C:\Windows\System32 and then rename Utilman.exe.old back to Utilman.exe.

Method 3: Recover Password with Windows Server 2012 Password Reset Disk

A password reset disk is always a handful tool when you forgot password. That’s why we always recommend users to create a password key disk when creating password for Windows user account. If you are lucky to have the password reset disk, follow steps blew to perform Windows server Raid computer password reset.

• Click the “Reset password” link under the password enter box when you enter the wrong password.
• Click Next and insert your password key disk you made before you forgot the administrator password and choose the disk drive in the list box.
• On the next window, type in a new password twice and a hint for your password. Click on “Finish” to close the wizard and you can login to your computer with the new password.

That’s all for how to reset lost local/domain administrator password for Windows 2016/2012/2008 Raid server. We hope the solutions outlined here would help you solve your problem.

This step-by-step article describes how to use Netdom.exe to reset machine account passwords of a domain controller in Windows Server.

Applies to: В Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2012 R2
Original KB number: В 325850

Summary

Each Windows-based computer maintains a machine account password history that contains the current and previous passwords that are used for the account. When two computers try to authenticate with each other and a change to the current password isn’t yet received, Windows relies on the previous password. If the sequence of password changes exceeds two changes, the computers involved may not be able to communicate, and you may receive error messages. For example, you receive Access Denied error messages when Active Directory replication occurs.

This behavior also applies to replication between domain controllers of the same domain. If the domain controllers that aren’t replicating reside in two different domains, look at the trust relationship more closely.

You can’t change the machine account password by using the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in. But you can reset the password by using the Netdom.exe tool. The Netdom.exe tool is included in the Windows Support Tools for Windows Server 2003, in Windows Server 2008 R2, and in Windows Server 2008.

The Netdom.exe tool resets the account password on the computer locally (known as a local secret). It writes this change to the computer’s computer account object on a Windows domain controller that’s in the same domain. Simultaneously writing the new password to both places ensures that at least the two computers involved in the operation are synchronized. And starting Active Directory replication ensures that other domain controllers receive the change.

The following procedure describes how to use the netdom command to reset a machine account password. This procedure is most frequently used on domain controllers, but also applies to any Windows machine account.

You must run the tool locally from the Windows-based computer whose password you want to change. Additionally, you must have administrative permissions locally and on the computer account’s object in Active Directory to run Netdom.exe.

Use Netdom.exe to reset a machine account password

Install the Windows Server 2003 Support Tools on the domain controller whose password you want to reset. These tools are located in the Support\Tools folder on the Windows Server 2003 CD-ROM. To install these tools, right-click the Suptools.msi file in the Support\Tools folder, and then select Install.

This step is not necessary in Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, or a later version because the Netdom.exe tool is included in these Windows editions.

If you want to reset the password for a Windows domain controller, you must stop the Kerberos Key Distribution Center service and set its startup type to Manual.

• After you restart and verify that the password has been successfully reset, you can restart the Kerberos Key Distribution Center (KDC) service and set its startup type back to Automatic. This forces the domain controller that has the incorrect computer account password to contact another domain controller for a Kerberos ticket.
• You may have to disable the Kerberos Key Distribution Center service on all domain controllers except one. If you can, don’t disable the domain controller that has the global catalog, unless it is experiencing problems.

Remove the Kerberos ticket cache on the domain controller where you receive the errors. You can do it by restarting the computer or by using the KLIST, Kerbtest, or KerbTray tools. KLIST is included in Windows Server 2008 and in Windows Server 2008 R2. For Windows Server 2003, KLIST is available as a free download in the Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools.

At a command prompt, type the following command:

A description of this command is:

/s: is the name of the domain controller to use for setting the machine account password. It’s the server where the KDC is running.

/ud: is the user account that makes the connection with the domain you specified in the /s parameter. It must be in domain\User format. If this parameter is omitted, the current user account is used.

/pd:* specifies the password of the user account that is specified in the /ud parameter. Use an asterisk (*) to be prompted for the password. For example, the local domain controller computer is Server1 and the peer Windows domain controller is Server2. If you run Netdom.exe on Server1 with the following parameters, the password is changed locally and is simultaneously written on Server2. And replication propagates the change to other domain controllers:

Restart the server whose password was changed. In this example, it’s Server1.

Windows Password Rescuer Advanced is universal Windows password recovery software that it can easily recover windows user account password with CD, DVD and/or USB Flash Drive, including Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP local administrator and user password, Windows server 2000/2003/2008/2012/2016/2019/2022 local and domain administrator and user password. It also can be used to Add Windows user account. To recover Windows Domain administrator/user password, Windows Password Rescuer Advanced must run on the server computer.

Section One: Create A Windows Password Recovery Disk with CD/DVD or USB Flash Drive

Install Windows Password Rescuer Advanced and create a universal Windows Password Recovery Disk on another computer.

Purchase Windows Password Rescuer Advanced (to reset unknown password and add new user) and then install it on any other available computer (Windows 11, 10, 8.1/8, 7, Vista, XP, server 2022,2019, 2016, 2008, 2003, 2000).

Windows Password Rescuer Advanced trial version can only display all user accounts of your computer but cannot reset password or add user.

Note: If you want to install Windows Password Rescuer Advanced in Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/Vista or Windows Server 2022/2019/2016/2008, you’d better right-click and run the installation program as administrator.

Run the software and insert a blank CD/DVD or USB flash drive.

1. Choose CD/DVD or USB Device option.

2. Select the CD/DVD or USB drive name which you inserted to, click Begin Burning. It will take you about half minute to complete burning. Then take out the disk and transfer it to your locked computer.

Section Two: Reset Windows Local or Domain Administrator/User Password

Insert the Windows password recovery disk to your locked computer (for Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP, server 2022, 2019, 2016, 2008, 2003, 2000 local user password recovery) or the server computer (for Windows server 2022/2019/2016/2012/2008/2003/2000 domain password recovery), boot the computer from CD/DVD or USB Drive.
How to set computer to boot from CD/DVD-ROM.
How to set computer to boot from USB Drive.

Here we take Windows server 2008/R2 password reset for example.

After booting from CD/DVD or USB, Windows Password Rescuer Advanced will run automatically and display a friendly interface.

1. Select a Windows system you want to recover its user password. All Windows system will be shown in list if your computer installed several Windows system.

2. Select your target user account which you want to reset its password from the user list.

Note:

If you are resetting Windows local account password, all local user accounts will be listed. If you are resetting Windows domain password on a server computer. Only domain administrator account will be displayed in the user list.

3. Click Reset Password button to reset its password. When a confirm message pops up, click Yes to continue.

If you want to reset other domain user password, simply click Add User button to add it to the user list and then reset its password by clicking Reset Password and confirm.

Note:

In Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP/2000 Windows Password Rescuer Advanced will reset the password as blank, you can login that user without password.

In Windows server 2022/2019/2016/2012/2008/2003/2000, the password will be reset as [email protected] by default. You can log on your computer with this new password.

4. After resetting password successfully, click Reboot. When following dialog pops up, remove your Windows password recovery disk first (important!), and click Yes to restart your computer then you can login the user account without password or with new password [email protected].

Windows Password Rescuer Advanced allows you to add a user account(Administrator) for Windows 10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP, Windows server 2022/2019/2016/2012/2008/2003/2000 without login. It is very easy.

Section Three: Add New User Account to Windows.

If you want to add a admin user account, just click Add User button, when a dialog pops up, type in a new user name and password, click OK.

New user “Admin” with password [email protected] has been created.

After rebooting, you can log on domain with new Administrator account and reset other users’ password easily.

If you wish to change or reset only the password for the Domain Administrator user account (MyDomain\Administrator) – without reloading Active Directory – you can use the following procedure. This allows you to regain control of your domain if you forgot the password.

If You Also Lost the DSRM Password

This procedure requires that you know the Directory Services Restore Mode (DSRM) password. If you have also lost the password for the DSRM account (.\Administrator), you can recover it by using a standard desktop PC lost-password recovery tool:

• Windows Server 2016-2022 (Windows 10 recovery tools)
• Windows Server 2012 R2 (Windows 8.1 recovery tools)
• Windows Server 2012 (Windows 8 recovery tools)
• Windows Server 2008 R2 (Windows 7 recovery tools)

Procedure

After you have obtained (or recovered) the DSRM password, run U-Move to change the Domain Administrator password.

1. On the Primary Domain Controller (PDC) boot DSRM and log on.
2. Install U-Move. (If you receive the error message “The system administrator has set policies to prevent this installation,” see below.)
3. Run U-Move.
4. On the Welcome page, right-click and select Change domain password. The Change Domain Password page will appear.
5. Type the new password for the Domain Administrator account. In the confirmation box type the password again.
6. Click Next and Finish. The domain controller will automatically reboot back to normal operation.
7. After the logon prompt appears, wait 30 seconds while the password is changed.
8. Log on to MyDomain\Administrator, where MyDomain is the domain name. (The name for ‘Administrator’ may vary by language or if the name was changed previously.)

If the Domain Administrator account was disabled, U-Move will automatically enable it.

If the new password fails, reboot into DSRM and check the Event Log for error messages. If U-Move was unable to change the password the reason will be written to the Application Event Log.

If the Administrator Account Was Renamed

If you still cannot log on (and the Event Log reports that U-Move successfully changed the password) it is possible that the Administrator account was previously renamed. To discover the true name of the Administrator account reboot into DSRM and run NOTEPAD.EXE to open the U-Move trace log file, ( C:\ Program Files\UMove\TraceLogs\UMoveTrace.txt).

In the trace file look for the following text line:

Administrator DN is CN=TheAdmin,OU=Users,DC=WestCoast,DC=com

In the above example the correct logon account name is westcoast.com\TheAdmin .

In the logon box carefully type in the name of the domain ( westcoast.com ) followed by a backslash ( \ ) followed by the administrator account name ( TheAdmin ).

The PDC Emulator Should Be Used to Change the Password

In order to change the Domain Administrator password, the domain controller should own the Primary Domain Controller (PDC) emulator role. A non-PDC will attempt to forward the change-password request to the PDC. If the PDC is not reachable on the network, the password change request will generate error messages in the Event Log. (If there is a discrepancy between passwords on a non-PDC and a PDC, the password on the PDC will take precedence.)

Unable to install U-Move in DSRM

If you are unable to install U-Move because of the error message The system administrator has set policies to prevent this installation, you will need to modify a registry value. Run REGEDIT.EXE . Locate the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\​Control\SafeBoot\Option. Change the registry value OptionValue from 3 to 0.

If you continue to receive the error message, see additional workarounds at KB925336.

Spurious Error Message

A yellow warning message may appear in the System Event Log for SChannel. The error message is spurious and can be ignored (Event ID 36872).

(18 Mar 2012) – I wrote an article similar to this topic, but using another tool. It is Offline NT Password & Registry Editor. If this tool doesn’t work in your case, you could try this one. To see the article, visit How to reset administrator password on Windows using Offline NT Password & Registry Editor.

(23 Sep 2008) – There is a new article in this topic using a newer tool which is more recommend than EBCD. It is PC Login Now. The EBCD tool is no longer maintain by author anymore. To see the newer article, visit How to reset administrator password on Windows using PC Login Now.

Last week, my friend told me that he forgot administrator password on his computer and asked me if I knew some way to solve the problem. I heard that there are some ways to reset password so I tried search on the Internet and found many tools and software that can reset password. Finally, I have ended up with EBCD (Emergency Boot CD) which is a useful tools that can reset password and also be your emergency CD in case of system failure. I have test this tool can reset password Administrator and also other account on local system on Windows XP and 2003 Server R2.

Note: You should have experiences on Windows. If you don’t have any background knowledge, I suggest you consult your Administrator before do this. I won’t responsible in any failure or damage if you using this tool.

We published a how to guide video on resetting a Windows Server 2012 R2 Administrator password remotely using IPMI. If you have ever had a Windows Server machine where you could not access the machine due to a lost password, this is the way to recover the system without resorting to a 3rd party password reset tool that can potentially be plagued with malware.

Recently we had a test running on a 24 drive SSD system in the STH lab. This is a system that will be available on the public DemoEval program after Flash Memory Summit with 24 new SSDs. The Administrator password for the Windows installation was lost, and the IOmeter logs inaccessible.

It is extremely important that you reset the Administrator password AND replace the sethc.exe after completing the swap. Otherwise, someone with IPMI access to the machine could gain Administrator access.

Here are the steps:

1. Over IPMI, mount a Windows Server 2012 R2 installation disk (this can be found on Microsoft Technet Evaluation Center)
2. Reboot the server
3. Select Boot from CD/DVD media and start the Windows Server boot process
4. Select a language then Repair your computer -> Troubleshoot -> Command Prompt
5. Locate the Windows installation drive (C, D or others depending on installation type)
6. Copy the sethc.exe to a backup location
7. Replace sethc.exe with cmd.exe
8. Reboot the server
9. At the login screen, hit the SHIFT key five times (you can use the virtual keyboard for this)
10. Use the following command (replace

with a temporary password) to reset the Administrator password:
net user Administrator

Key commands for steps 6 and 7 (the d:\ may be c:\ or something else based on your step 5 determination):

copy d:\windows\system32\sethc.exe d:\windows\system32\sethc-old.exe
copy d:\windows\system32\cmd.exe d:\windows\system32\sethc.exe

Key commands for step 13:

copy c:\windows\system32\sethc-old.exe c:\windows\system32\sethc.exe

This is all you need to get back into a Windows Server 2012 R2 system you have IPMI access to.

Resetting local administrator and Domain Administrator password is one of the important tasks of System Administrator. As a job role of Windows System Administrator we should have to know how to reset Domain Administrator password and local administrator password. In some situation we require these steps. In this article we will reset Administrator Password in Windows Server 2016 Domain Controller using following steps:

1. Insert the Windows Server 2016 DVD and restart the server and Press F12 to boot from DVD. Press Enter which monitor display “Press any key to boot from CD or DVD…”

2. On the Windows Setup page, click Next.

3. On the Windows Setup page, select “Repair your computer”.

4. On the Choose an Option page, click “Troubleshoot” option.

5. On the Advanced options page, select “Command Prompt”

6. On the Administrator Command Prompt, type the following commands as shown in figure.

7. On the Administrator Command Prompt window, close the “Command Prompt”

8. On the Choose an option page, click on “Continue”.

9. Now Server restarting and then Press Windows Key + U to open Administrator command prompt at the logon screen. And type the following commands to change the password.
net user administrator [email protected]
Then close the command prompt.

10. Now, you can log on with the recently changed password.

Once you have successfully log on the domain controller, you have to repeat the following cleanup steps.

11. Restart the server and Press F12 to boot from Windows Server 2016 DVD. On the Windows Setup page, click Next.

12. On the Windows Setup page, click on “Repair your computer”.

13. On the Choose an option dialog box, select “Troubleshoot”.

14. On the Advanced options dialog box, select “Command Prompt”.

15. On the Administrator Command Prompt, type the following commands, and close the command prompt windows.

16. On the Choose an option dialog box, select “Continue”.

17. On the login dialog box, type the username and password, then press Enter.

Summary:

Resetting Domain Administrator and local Administrator password is the important tasks of System Administrator. In some scenario this will help to save our jobs. We should know this. I hope this will help.

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About MS Server Pro

MS Server Pro is the world’s most advanced learning site with tutorials and manuals to learn and guidelines to implement in all the Microsoft Server products.

What is DSRM?

Directory Service Restore Mode (DSRM) is a boot mode on a Domain Controller for repairing and restoring Active Directory data. You have to use DSRM to login locally on a Domain Controller if there is a need to repair or restore Active Directory database.

The DSRM password is set during the process of promoting member server to a Domain Controller. Your Domain Controller’s Directory Services Restore Mode password is among the most powerful logins on any Windows network. If your DSRM password is cracked by others, they can copy and change the Active Directory database, and reboot the server.

If you forgot the password, you’d better reset Directory Services Restore Mode password as soon as possible.

How to Reset DSRM Password?

Here I will share two options to reset forgotten DSRM password on your Windows Server 2012 (R)/2008 (R)/2003 (R).

1. Reset DSRM Password with Ntdsutil

Ntdsutil utility is a free nice solution to a forgotten local DSRM administrator password. However, it just works for Windows Server 2003 and later. Just follow the detailed instructions as below:

• Step 1: Run the ntdsutil command from an elevated command prompt.
• Step 2: To open an elevated command prompt, click Start, right click Command Prompt, and then type ntdsutil.
• Step 3: At the ntdsutil command prompt , type set dsrm password.
• Step 4: At the DSRM command prompt, type the different command lines as to your situation:

To reset DRSM password on the server on which you are working, type reset password on server null, null represents the local server where you are. Type the new password when you are prompted. Note that no characters appear while you type the password.

To reset the password for another server, type reset password on server servername. Servername is the DNS name for the server on which you are resetting the DSRM password. Type the new password when you are prompted. Note that no characters appear while you type the password.

2. Use Windows Password Key Program

Windows Password key standard can be free downloaded to crack DSRM password (including administrator password) with just a few clicks. No special skills needed. Remember to choose the Enterprise version.

• Step 1: Prepare another workable Windows computer. Install and run Windows Password Key on it.
• Step 2: Burn the ISO image file of this program to a blank USB. Insert the USB and then click “Burn”. “Quick Recovery” and “Advanced Recovery” are offered. Choose one.
• Step 3: Pull out the USB and insert it into your Domain Controller. Then your Windows Server will reboot.
• Step 4. Choose the account whose password you want to reset.

Now, you have removed your forgotten Directory Service Restore Mode password successfully.

Either option you choose, you can achieve your goal. Additionally, Windows Password Key can also used for Windows 10/8/7/Vista/XP local password cracker.