Reset the password for a local user account

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

To reset the password for a local user account

  1. Open Computer Management.

  2. In the console tree, click Users.

    Where?

    • Computer Management/System Tools/Local Users and Groups/Users
  3. Right-click the user account for which you want to reset the password, and then click Set Password.

  4. Read the warning message, and if you want to continue, click Proceed.

  5. In New password and in Confirm password, type a new password and then click OK.

Notes

  • To perform this procedure, you must be the member of the Power Users group who created the account or a member of the Administrators group on the local computer, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. If the computer is joined to a domain, members of the Domain Admins group might be able to perform this procedure. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure. For more information, see Default local groups, Default groups, and Using Run as.

  • To open Computer Management, click Start, click Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Computer Management.

  • Strong passwords improve computer and network security. For more information, see Related Topics.

  • Resetting a local user account password may result in some data loss for that user. For more information, see Related Topics.

Information about functional differences

  • Your server might function differently based on the version and edition of the operating system that is installed, your account permissions, and your menu settings. For more information, see Viewing Help on the Web.

See Also

Concepts

Strong passwords
Preventing data loss from password resets
Best practices for security