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Domain Administrator (and/or Local Administrator) Password Recovery Process

Operating Systems:
   Windows 2000
   Windows XP
   Windows 2003

I.  DSRM (Directory Services Restore Mode)

If the domain Administrator password was changed from the Server Management
console, the local Administrator password should have remained unchanged
(SBS 2003 initially syncs the Domain Administrator and (DSRM) Local
Administrator passwords).  If so, the procedure below should let you change
the Domain Administrator password and get you access to your server (you can
skip the first steps if the [DSRM] Local Administrator password has not been
changed by anyone).

II.  Change Domain Administrator Password Procedure

Reference...
http://forum.s-t-d.org/viewtopic.php?pid=13450

To recover a lost/forgotten AD Domain Admin password:

1.  If Needed:  Boot DC with Knoppix S-T-D  (see Part III below)

2.  If Needed:  Reset Local Administrator Password (chntpwd) - used for DSRM
access

3.  Boot using F8 - Directory Services Restore Mode

4.  Logon with Local Administrator username/password

5.  Launch Regedit & navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Services/Spooler

6.  Change ImagePath value to:
c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe /k net user administrator pAssword /domain

7.  Reboot and wait for the error from the print spooler failure

8.  Logon with your newly set Administrator password (pAssword - case
sensitive)

9.  Undo registry setting in step 6 or printing will not work.

10. Start Print Spooler Service

11. If desired, reset Domain Administrator password using Console

III.  KNOPPIX Change Local Administrator Password Procedure

If you do not know the (DSRM) Local Administrator password for the server or
you suspect that it has been changed, go to:

http://mirror.cs.vt.edu/pub/Knoppix-STD/

download the .iso and create the CD.  Then follow the instructions at:

http://www.astahost.com/how-reset-nt-password-using-knoppix-std-t8716...

to reset the (DSRM) local Administrator account password

(using Knoppix, the username "Administrator" is case sensitive, so if you
see a cap letter on the "A", take note to type it that way when you specify
the account to reset the password).

The instructions at this web site are for Windows 2000, so when you get to
the part that says:

Type:   cd /mnt/hda2/WINNT/system32/config   (Win2000)

Instead use:

Type:   cd /mnt/hda2/WINDOWS/system32/config) (WinXP, Win2003)

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KNOPPIX STEPS - CONDENSED

1.  Boot on Knoppix CD
2.  Right-click on the desktop and select XShells>Root Aterm
3.  Type:   cat /etc/fstab
4.  Type:   mount -o rw /dev/hda2 /mnt/hda2

("/dev/hda2 /mnt/hda2 ntfs" is the target hard drive; it may be "hda1" or
another designation)

5.  Type:   cd /mnt/hda2/WINNT/system32/config   (Win2000)

or, Type:  cd /mnt/hda2/WINDOWS/system32/config  (WinXP, Win2003)

6.  Type:  ls -l     (both instances are lower case "L")
7.  Type:  chntpw
8.  Type:  chntpw -l sam system security

9.  Type:  chntpw -u Administrator sam system security

    (case sensitive, so use uppercase "A")

10.  Do you really wish to disable SYSKEY? (y/n) [n] n
11.  Please enter new password: *

(* = Blank Password; you can specify a secure one)

12.  Do you really wish to change it? (y/n) [n] y
13.  Write hive files? (y/n) [n] : y

14.  From the desktop right-click > reboot

(or, if problematic, just pull the plug and reboot the machine)

IV.  RESYNCING DSRM and Domain Administrator Passwords

SBS 2003 syncs the domain administrator password with the local
administrator (DSRM) password when you install it.  If you want to resync
it, use the KB article below to reset the DSRM password to match the new
Domain Administrator password (not necessary, but for disaster recovery you
should record the DSRM password somewhere if it's different from the Domain
Administrator password)

How To Reset the Directory Services Restore Mode Administrator Account
Password in Windows Server 2003
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322672
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--
Merv  Porter   [SBS-MVP]
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