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How to Change User Password at Command Prompt

Article ID:149427
Last Review:February 21, 2007
Revision:2.2
This article was previously published under Q149427

SUMMARY

This article describes how to use the net user command to change the user password at a Windows command prompt. Only administrators can change domain passwords at the Windows command prompt.

MORE INFORMATION

To change a user's password at the command prompt, log on as an administrator and type:
net user user_name * /domain
When you are prompted to type a password for the user, type the new password, not the existing password. After you type the new password, the system prompts you to retype the password to confirm. The password is now changed.

Alternatively, you can type the following command:
net user user_name  new_password
When you do so, the password changes without prompting you again. This command also enables you to change passwords in a batch file.

Non-administrators receive a "System error 5 has occurred. Access is denied" error message when they attempt to change the password.

APPLIES TO
Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Edition
Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter Server
Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.5
Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.51
Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 Developer Edition
Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.5
Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.51
Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Standard Edition

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