How to change domain administrator password when you forgot it

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) June 30, 2010 -- Forgot the Active Directory administrator password and unable to access the Domain Controller? How to reset or change the Domain administrator password?

You can easily reset or change your forgotten Domain administrator password by following the step-by-step guide below. The method works on all version of Windows Active Directory Enabled Servers (2000, 2003, 2008, etc.).

Requirements:

* In order to access to the machine when boot into the Directory Services Restore Mode, you need to use the Reset Windows Password 1.3 boot CD to clear the local administrator's password firstly.
* Two tools provided by Microsoft in their Resource Kit: srvany.exe and instsrv.exe.

How to Change Domain Administrator Password

1. Start the computer and hit F8 to get boot options. Choose the "Directory Service Restore Mode" option. When the login screen appears, log on as Local Administrator.
2. Copy Srvany.exe and Instsrv.exe to a temporary folder, for example C: emp. Copy cmd.exe to this folder too (cmd.exe is the command prompt, usually located at %WINDIR%System32).

3. Double click the file C: empcmd.exe to open a command prompt, then type: instsrv PWRESET "C: empsrvany.exe".
4. Open the Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) and navigate to

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESystemCurrentControlSetServicesPWRESET

5. Create a new subkey and name it "Parameters" and add the following values.

name: Application
type: REG_SZ (string)
value: c: empcmd.exe

name: AppParameters
type: REG_SZ (string)
value: /k net user administrator P@ssw0rd /domain

6. Now open the Services applet (Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Services) and find the "PWRESET" service, make sure the "Startup Type" is set to "Automatic" and then click on the "Log On" tab and make sure the "Allow Service to Interact with Desktop" is checked.
7. Restart Windows normally, when the login dialog appears type in user: Administrator and password: P@ssw0rd and you should be in the server.
8. Open a command prompt to delete the PWRESET service by typing:

net stop PWRESET
sc delete PWRESET

9. Now you are in the domain controller with access as administrator.

Learn more at: http://www.top-password.com/reset-windows-password.html

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