I am attempting to change the network logon password on a Client PC running XP Home connected to Windows Server 2003. If I check the box on the server "User must change password at next logon" at the next login of the client pc the user is not prompted to change the password. In fact the old password does not work and a new one doesn't work either. Any ideas what I am doing wrong? The client PC is connected as part of a workgroup and connecting to network shares using mapped drives.

Hi Brendan, I am a bit confused about your description, let me have a analysis of your environment. If I misunderstand your concern, please feel free to let me know. 1. You mentioned "The client PC is connected as part of a workgroup ". ---> Seems that your computers are all in a workgroup, not a domain. 2. "If I check the box on the server "User must change password at next logon" at the next login of the client pc the user is not prompted to change the password." --->If the client PC is a member of the workgroup, so this computer is a standalone computer. Please provide more information about your environment, then we can do the further research. Best regards, Vincent Hu

I have 8 PC's running XP Home which connect to a Server running Windows 2003. Each PC can be used standalone but if needed to connect to shared network folders users are prompted to enter a username and password. It's this password I want to change. All the 8 computers belong to the same workgroup. Most people I have asked this question tell me to change the password in the user accounts, however this is just the windows password and the network username and password do not exist there. On the Server, I can see all the user accounts but cannot find any utility to view or change the passwords, just to reset them. If I reset the password, next time I logon I am not prompted to change the password. I think I am missing something. thanks Brendan

Hi Brendan, I think I have got your concern now. If I misunderstand your concern, please feel free to let me know. Analysis: 1. You have a Windows Server 2003 and it's a Domain Controller.(You set this server as a DC.) 2. The 8 Windows XP Home PCs are working in a work group. 3. You shared a folder on the Window Server 2003 computer. 4. You created user accounts such as User1, User2......for your users who work on the 8 PCs to access the shared folder on the Windows Server 2003 server. 5. You check the box on the server "User must change password at next logon" If so, I suspect you have some misunderstanding about the AD. The system will never prompt to change password until you use the user account to have a real login. (Go to a computer have added to the domain, use the user account to login) If you don't have other computers have been added to the domain, you can just uncheck the "User must change password at next logon" box. I think you can achieve your goal. Best regards, Vincent Hu

Hi Vincent, thanks for your help. Yes your analysis 1-5 is correct. All the computers can currently connect to the shared folders on the server using their username/password and all is working just fine. However I want to change the passwords hence why I tried to check "user must change password at next logon". I guess if I was connecting to the domain rather than a workgroup it would prompt me to change password. I can't connect any of the computers to a network domain using XP Home (I need XP Pro for this). The Users listed in the User Accounts are Administrator and Guest but the network Logon is as such User1/password1. I just can't find where to change password1. Brendan

Hi, "However I want to change the passwords hence why I tried to check "user must change password at next logon". I guess if I was connecting to the domain rather than a workgroup it would prompt me to change password. " ---No, there is no prompt for changing password even if the computer is in a domain if you only use the user account to access a share folder. The only way to change the password is after login to one computer with the account. You can set different password for the users, and then tell each one their password. Why don't do this? Would you like to let the users set their own password? You have another alternative method to achieve this. 1. When you reset the password for the specific user, ask them to input password themselves. 2. Add one computer Windows XP Profession OS to the domain, then ask the user to login with user account and password onto this computer, then let them change their password. Best regards, Vincent Hu

"You can set different password for the specific user, and tell each one their password" - That's what I want to do - how can I do this please......? What I'm actually trying to do is set all 8 computers to the same password. If I log into one computer with the password I cannot find an option to change it. thanks Brendan

Hi, "If I log into one computer with the password I cannot find an option to change it." ---It seems that you are login to Windows Server 2003 Server, right? In Windows Server 2003, you can only reset the password for a user, there is no option to CHANGE the password. Actually, the option Reset has the same function with Change. "You can set different password for the specific user, and tell each one their password" - That's what I want to do - how can I do this please......? What I'm actually trying to do is set all 8 computers to the same password. ---Please perform the following steps: 1. Please login to you Windows Server 2003 Server, navigate to "Active Directory Users and Computers". 2. Please select the user you want to change the password 3. Right click on the selected user, select Reset password, input the password you want to set, uncheck the "User must change password at next logon" box. 4. Repeat step 3 for other users. 5. Right click on the selected user, select Properties, navigate to Account tab, uncheck the "Password never expires" box. I guess you may created a user account like User1 both in Windows XP home edition and Windows Server 2003 Server. If so, I want to let you know, they are not the same user account. The user account User1 on Windows XP machine is a standalone user account. The password of this User1 can only be changed on this Windows XP computer in Controller Panel----Users Account. If you reset(change) the password of User1 on Windows Server 2003, it will never affect the account User1 on Windows XP machine. Best regards, Vincent Hu

Hi Vincent, thanks for your help but it looks like I have given you the wrong info I think were not using AD. I am running server 2003 but "Active Directory users and Computers" is blank - it contains no information in the margin like your screenshot. There is an error message "No Authorization Stores Selected". The accounts are managed in the server management screen that looks like this: http://uksbsguy.com/images/server_management.png I then click on Users to create new users, etc but there is no option to change/reset password if I right click on the user. The only mention of passwords is "define password policies" which affects everyone but still has no option to change/reset. thanks, Brendan

Hi, According to the screen shot, it seems that you are using Windows Small Business Server, as we mainly focus on the general question about Windows Server system and here is not the best support resource for Windows Small Business Server, it is recommend you to get further support in the corresponding community so that you can get the most qualified pool of respondents. Thanks for your understanding. For your convenience, I have list the related link as followed. Discussions in Windows Small Business Server General http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/en-us/default.aspx?dg=microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs Best regards, Vincent Hu