Util to Remotely Chg Admin PWD on Client PCs

[Margaret Wilson]

Hello,

We have a need to change the password on the local admin account on 150
client machines. (We're running a mix of Windows 2000 and XP Pro.) A year
or so ago I happened upon a third-party utility that would do such a
password change remotely. As I recall, the package had other features as
well. But I can't for the life of me, remember the name of the package.
Can someone point me in the right direction ... or recommend something else?

Thanks and Regards,

Margaret

 

[Oli Restorick]

I normally use psexec from www.sysinternals.com allong with "net user
username password".

Oli

 

[Oli Restorick]

Also, I believe you can use group policy to do the same thing, but I don't
know the details.

 

[Gerry Hickman]

Also, I believe you can use group policy to do the same thing, but I don't
know the details.

I think you can also use WMI, but haven't tried it yet; I've also got to
do this task soon.

 

[Oli Restorick]

You almost certainly can. I also have not tried that.

Oli

 

[NIC Student]

You can add Local Admin users & groups with group policy (you can find it
in Computer Settings/Windows Settings/Security Settings/Restricted Group).

In that policy add Administrators group, then add your members, such as:

Builtin\LocalAdmin
Microsoft\Domain Admins
Microsoft\Local Admin Users Group

This policy will take effect on every PC in that OU - Beware, restricted
group forces configuration on the local administrator group
thus removing previous entries.

--
Scott Baldridge
Windows Server MVP, MCSE

 

[Gerry Hickman]

Thanks very much for all your input. There was an actual package that had a
GUI interface and did all sorts of management type stuff for client
machines. I recall it being rather expensive,

Microsoft have something called SMS too which I've used in the past, but
ultimately, I find all these things to be more trouble than they're
worth. With scripting you can just make it up as you go along, and
adjust it when Microsoft move the goal posts.

 

[Margaret Wilson]

Yeah, SMS is way overkill for our small number of users.

Regards,

Margaret

 

[Brendon Rogers]

There are many command line tools which will change the password a lot
quicker than a GUI tool.

But since you mentioned a GUI tool look at:
Hyena: http://www.systemtools.com/hyena/
Dameware: http://www.dameware.com/

Yeah, SMS is way overkill for our small number of users.

Regards,

Margaret

 

[Rudy Seoa]

I normally use psexec from www.sysinternals.com allong with "net user
username password".

Oli

Sysinternals now has pspasswd for remotely changing a password.

 

[Oli Restorick]

Cool. I didn't know that.

Oli

Sysinternals now has pspasswd for remotely changing a password.

 

[Cary Shultz]

-----Original Message-----
You can add Local Admin users & groups with group policy (you can find it
in Computer Settings/Windows Settings/Security Settings/Restricted Group).

In that policy add Administrators group, then add your members, such as:

Builtin\LocalAdmin
Microsoft\Domain Admins
Microsoft\Local Admin Users Group

This policy will take effect on every PC in that OU - Beware, restricted
group forces configuration on the local administrator group
thus removing previous entries.

--
Scott Baldridge
Windows Server MVP, MCSE

same thing, but I
don't


.

That is, unless you apply the updated patch for
that....Using the updated patch does not remove whatever
is currently in there..it simply adds to it.

HTH,

Cary

 

[Andreas]

You might be interested in AdmWin / SetupBatcher. http://www.admwin.com.
(Search the manual for "change workstation passwords" and "autoretry".)

Regards
Andreas