Re: Help - administrator locked out!

OK....sorry - incorrect term. Whenever we try to log on using the
administrator account we get a message saying 'the system could not log you
on. Make sure your username and domain are correct and type your password
again. Letters in passwords must be typed using correct case'. This is
happening to ANY account that hadn't changed their password before the expiry
date, INCLUDING the administrator account There is NO OPTION to change the
password, just the message mentioned above.

As mentioned, I was on leave when the first 'you must change your password'
messages started coming up, and when I returned from leave I faced the
situation I have mentioned. Now I was not actually on this site at any time
during the 6 weeks I was off (would kind of be against the point of a
holiday, wouldn't it?), so I was unable to see EVERY button EVERY user
pressed, so all I can do is assume they are telling me the truth when they
say no-one changed the administrator password. I know no-one would have
changed the password on my account on that domain, but I get the same error
when trying to log on.

So, sorry to have caused you so much offence "Thee Chicago Wolf" (is that a
spelling error - should it be 'three' or maybe 'the' - who really cares?). If
I knew all the answers to the questions I need to ask then there would be no
need for places like this, would there? If it is so offensive to to you to
find out that people do not have the same encyclopedic knowledge as you
apparently believe you have, then why bother hanging around here? And you are
absolutely correct about my choice of career - I live in a very small town, I
was hired 10 years ago when Windows 95 and Office 97 are all the rage and we
had 1 server. We now have 20 servers, 6 remote sites about 400 devices on the
network, Office 2003, Exchange Active Directory etc etc. During the time all
these systems have been installed I have received exactly zero training from
my employer......so what do you suggest I do? Spend 8 hours a day at work,
then another 8 at home every night sitting in front of my computer trying to
learn all this stuff? Or maybe I should just resign......there aren't any
more jobs around here, and my kids would starve.....but at least these forums
would be a nicer place for you, wouldn't they?

I am prepared to admit my questions may be a bit silly (although a wise man
once said that the only silly question is the one that isn't asked), but I
thought these forums would be a good place to maybe learn some
stuff.....however I am getting sick of every now and then getting some sort
of a snide response from people such as wolf-thingy. If my questions are too
dumb for you, then don't answer them. Your contribution, wolf-thing, was
absolutely pointless.

"Thee Chicago Wolf" wrote:

I have just come back from 6 weeks leave. While I was gone, users at one of
our remote branches started getting 'must change password in xx days'
messages (they have their own 1-server domain running W2K3). Being users, all
they did was to note down the message, and then ring the help desk the day
AFTER xx days had expired! Now all their passwords have expired (apart from 2
users who changed theirs in the required time) and they cannot log onto the
domain. The really strange thing is that the passwords for the domain
administrator appear to have expired also, as well as the 'back-door' account
I set up for myself for just such an occurrence. Their server still runs, and
the users all have to log on as 1 of the 2 users who managed to change their
passwords, and the enterprise app on their server is still running
also........it's just that no-one can now log onto the server console.

I am a little concerned as to what is my next move, because if I get it
wrong, there may be no way to recover the server......I'm even loathe to
reboot it.

Anyway......if I start up in safe mode (is that possible on W2K3?) would I
then be able to get in to fix up the passwords (or whatever else it is that
has gone wrong)?

And just by way of interest.....can this actually happen? I mean I am really
surprised that the administrator account has been locked out (....I wonder if
it has been locked out due to repeated failed logon attempts?).....should
this actually happen, or should I start thinking 'virus'?

Questions like this are so baited it's not even funny. You will not be
locked out. If, as a Server Admin, you don't know that, you should not
be Administering a server.

- Thee Chicago Wolf

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