pswd question

[RB]

On XP pro sp3, if I start->run and type control userpasswords2 then hit enter
I get a UserAccts window, I then click the Advanced Tab, I then go down to the
center of the window to the AdvancedUserManagement heading and then look to
the right and click the Advanced button, I get another window called LocalUsersAndGroups,
if I then click Users->MyAcctName I finally get a window that called MyAcctName
Properties, if I look down to the center I see a check box (that is checked) beside a heading
that says, "password never expires".
Ok.......now I go to ControlPanel(ClassicView)->AdminstrativeTools->LocalSecurityPolicy
Then in that window I go to AccountPolices->PasswordPolicy and I click on
Maximum Password Age and it says 42 days ......?? ugh well the control userpasswords2
had just told me that my password would never expire? But now in this windows it says
the maximum age is only 42 days. So searching in Bullshxt land I click on a tab that says
"Explain this Setting" and it says the below
------------
Maximum password age
This security setting determines the period of time (in days) that a password can be used before
the system requires the user to change it. You can set passwords to expire after a number of
days between 1 and 999, or you can specify that passwords never expire by setting the number
of days to 0. If the maximum password age is between 1 and 999 days, the Minimum password
age must be less than the maximum password age. If the maximum password age is set to 0,
the minimum password age can be any value between 0 and 998 days.

 

[John John - MVP]

On XP pro sp3, if I start->run and type control userpasswords2 then hit enter
I get a UserAccts window, I then click the Advanced Tab, I then go down to the
center of the window to the AdvancedUserManagement heading and then look to
the right and click the Advanced button, I get another window called LocalUsersAndGroups,
if I then click Users->MyAcctName I finally get a window that called MyAcctName
Properties, if I look down to the center I see a check box (that is checked) beside a heading
that says, "password never expires".
Ok.......now I go to ControlPanel(ClassicView)->AdminstrativeTools->LocalSecurityPolicy
Then in that window I go to AccountPolices->PasswordPolicy and I click on
Maximum Password Age and it says 42 days ......?? ugh well the control userpasswords2
had just told me that my password would never expire? But now in this windows it says
the maximum age is only 42 days. So searching in Bullshxt land I click on a tab that says
"Explain this Setting" and it says the below
------------
Maximum password age
This security setting determines the period of time (in days) that a password can be used before
the system requires the user to change it. You can set passwords to expire after a number of
days between 1 and 999, or you can specify that passwords never expire by setting the number
of days to 0. If the maximum password age is between 1 and 999 days, the Minimum password
age must be less than the maximum password age. If the maximum password age is set to 0,
the minimum password age can be any value between 0 and 998 days.
------------
It says here (if I understand this ambiguous wording ) that if I set the maxium password age to zero
then it will never expire ? Can anybody explain to me what is going on ? Or more specifically
why does this area seem to disagree with the results of control userpasswords2 ?
I really at this time have no idea what my setting really is ?

On local accounts the Password never expires setting (in the 'Local
Users and Groups' screen) overrides the Maximum Password Age setting in
the Password policy in Group Policies. You can confirm your setting by
issuing the net user command at a command prompt:

net user "Your User Name"

John

 

[RB]

On local accounts the Password never expires setting (in the 'Local Users and Groups' screen) overrides the Maximum Password Age

setting in the Password policy in Group Policies. You can confirm your setting by issuing the net user command at a command
prompt:
net user "Your User Name"
John

---------Thanks for the reply
then net user Owner.RB gave me this
Account active Yes
Account expires Never
Password last set 3/1/2010 9:29 AM
Password expires Never
-----------
However just to clarify my confusion of the other method's description, When they say to have
the password never expire that you would set to zero , I assume they are talking about the
"Maximum" password age, correct ? and then set the Minimum password age to anything
but zero.

 

[John John - MVP]

---------Thanks for the reply
then net user Owner.RB gave me this
Account active Yes
Account expires Never
Password last set 3/1/2010 9:29 AM
Password expires Never
-----------
However just to clarify my confusion of the other method's description, When they say to have
the password never expire that you would set to zero , I assume they are talking about the
"Maximum" password age, correct ? and then set the Minimum password age to anything
but zero.

If the "Maximum password age" is set to 0 the passwords will never
expire. If you read the relevant GPO help screens, under the "Maximum
password age" setting you will see:

"If the maximum password age is set to 0, the minimum password age can
be any value between 0 and 998 days."


If you read the help screen at the "Minimum password age" setting you
will see:

"The minimum password age must be less than the Maximum password age,
unless the maximum password age is set to 0, indicating that passwords
will never expire. If the maximum password age is set to 0, the minimum
password age can be set to any value between 0 and 998."

John

 

[RB]

Yes thanks, I kinda thought that was the way it was but it left me (albeit possibly my ignorance)
with some ambiguity as to for sure what they were talking about.. I mean if you set the
Maximum pswd age to zero why would it even matter what the minimum was set to at all
unless possibly the OS code does some sort of bitwise OR in checking them.
Anyhow I think I have it now.
Did you get a chance to look at my "net" return data on my other
Trouble Adding User Group, thread ? I still cannot get pswd access from my
laptop to desktop.