Admin Password

[Guest Eli]

Hello All,

 

We are running 3 Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard x64 servers. I would like

to change the Administrator password on these boxes (all Domain Controllers).

 

I have yet to find a clearcut way of accomplishing this, is creating a user

with full admin rights, then disabling the Administrator the only way to go

here?

 

Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thank you,

Eli

[Guest Charlie Russel - MVP]

Re: Admin Password

 

I'm not sure I understand the issue. (BTW, this issue has nothing to do with

x64, it's a pure Windows Server question. And most of the folks in this NG

are client side types, though there are a few of us.)

 

If all three boxes are in the same domain, they all have the same

Administrator account. (there is no local administrator account on a DC

except for the AD recovery account, which is special and not generally

changeable.)

 

That administrator account (often called the 500 account) can be renamed to

something else, but it's still the same account. Renaming an account doesn't

change its SID.)

 

If the three boxes are in three different domains, then they each have a

_different_ 500 account. Changing one doesn't change another.

 

If you want to change the password, just do so. It's not hard. If you want

to use the command line, then:

net user administrator *

 

will prompt you for the new password. Or, while logged in as Administrator,

press Ctrl-Alt-Del, Select Change Password.

 

If it's one domain, you only have to do it once for all three boxes.

 

if what you're trying to do is some sort of security by obscurity to rename

the administrator account, and provide a guest level "administrator"

account, then do this:

Open AD Users and Computers.

Right click the Administrator account in the Users container, and select

"rename" from the action menu. Now, right click the guest account. Select

Copy. Use the name Administrator. There. You're done.

 

--

Charlie.

http://msmvps.com/xperts64

http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/charlie.russel

 

 

"Eli" <Eli@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:305A5189-1D5A-40BD-A997-AC3D1D74E3B1@microsoft.com...

> Hello All,

>

> We are running 3 Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard x64 servers. I would

> like

> to change the Administrator password on these boxes (all Domain

> Controllers).

>

> I have yet to find a clearcut way of accomplishing this, is creating a

> user

> with full admin rights, then disabling the Administrator the only way to

> go

> here?

>

> Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

>

> Thank you,

> Eli

>