Change administrator password windows server 2003 active directory

It disables Active Directory. When the login screen appears, log on as Local Administrator. You now have full access to the computer resources, but you cannot make any changes to Active Directory. This utility can virtually run any programs as a service.

That is more than enough to reset a Domain Admin password. Copy cmd. So, I'm not having much luck. I also saw a reference to Ophcrack , but from the website it doesn't look like that tool supports Windows Server Actually, just a few hours ago I tried exactly that trick - on a Windows Core domain controller. It worked perfectly. Did you use the script linked at the bottom of that guide? Exactly what does "not having much luck" mean? Sign up to join this community. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top.

Stack Overflow for Teams — Collaborate and share knowledge with a private group. Create a free Team What is Teams? Learn more. How do I change a forgotten domain admin password on Windows Server ?

Ask Question. Asked 12 years, 8 months ago. Active 11 years, 6 months ago. Viewed 2k times. This article assumes that you forgot the AD admin password, someone changed it on you, or you are recovering from an attack. In case you decide to use this tutorial for nefarious purposes, we can not be held liable for your stupidity. If you are still reading this then you need to regain access to your Active Directory administrator account.

Note: When the box restarts, you need to hit F8 just like you do when you want to access safe-mode and then choose Directory Restore Service Mode from the menu. This option disables your Active Directory but gives you full access to the box.

It will take a few moments for your login prompt to appear. When you see it, you will need to log on to this machine as the Local Administrator aka Directory Restoration Admin.

You are now in. You have full access to the system sans active directory. You can start and stop services, access files, change local accounts and shares, but we still cannot touch the AD domain password. Close but no cigar.

This Microsoft app turns any executable into an NT Service. Not just any service either, a service that runs in the system context. They are srvany, instsrv and cmd.