XP workgroup password nightmare

[Fec]

I have a xp pro client which is usually connected to a local domain. I have
removed the log-on to the domain & configured the pc to log on to a
workgroup instead. However, the user name & password I entered when changing
to the workgroup (in system properties/computer name/change) is not being
recognised & I cannot log in!!! NIGHTMARE

Even the admin password is not recognised. I suspect the pc is defaulting to
an old user name/password combination from when it was on a workgroup in the
past. I have had similar experiences previously with the same thing - but in
all other instances I have figured out the old passwords.

How do I re-join the domain - remember, i cannot log in to change this in
the usual manner.

Regards

Fec

 

[Mike Brannigan [MSFT]]

I have a xp pro client which is usually connected to a local domain. I have
removed the log-on to the domain & configured the pc to log on to a
workgroup instead. However, the user name & password I entered when
changing to the workgroup (in system properties/computer name/change) is
not being recognised & I cannot log in!!! NIGHTMARE

Even the admin password is not recognised. I suspect the pc is defaulting
to an old user name/password combination from when it was on a workgroup
in the past. I have had similar experiences previously with the same
thing - but in all other instances I have figured out the old passwords.

How do I re-join the domain - remember, i cannot log in to change this in
the usual manner.

When you left the domain the old logins you used to use that were from that
domain are no longer valid.
The only accounts that are valid on this machine are the ones that exist
locally - such as the Administrator account whose password was set at
install time and may never have been changed since. (There may also be other
local accounts that were created before this machine joined the domain).

You need to find the password for one of these local accounts to logon and
then rejoin the domain (you will require a domain\account that has the
relevant permissions to join a machine to the domain to do this).

There are commercial third party tools that claim to be able to reset a
local Administrator password - use your favourite search engine to locate
these products.

--

Regards,

Mike
--
Mike Brannigan [Microsoft]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights

Please note I cannot respond to e-mailed questions, please use these
newsgroups

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I have a xp pro client which is usually connected to a local domain. I have
removed the log-on to the domain & configured the pc to log on to a
workgroup instead. However, the user name & password I entered when changing
to the workgroup (in system properties/computer name/change) is not being
recognised & I cannot log in!!! NIGHTMARE

Even the admin password is not recognised. I suspect the pc is defaulting to
an old user name/password combination from when it was on a workgroup in the
past. I have had similar experiences previously with the same thing - but in
all other instances I have figured out the old passwords.

How do I re-join the domain - remember, i cannot log in to change this in
the usual manner.

Regards

Fec

By changing the computer from the domain to a workgroup, you
destroyed the trust between the domain and the computer. In doing so,
you have also rendered any domain login credentials as invalid. You
need to be physically connected to the domain network, you need to have
administrative privileges to the client computer (Use the built-in
Administrator account), and you need to have administrative privileges
on the domain. Then you can add the machine back on to the domain,
after having first deleted the computer's old domain account (unless
you've also renamed the computer).

Contact your IT department or your network administrator (I can't
help but conclude that such exists, or the computer would not have been
a member of a domain) for repairs.

--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

 

[Fec]

Thanks for the reply

I know what you are saying - the problem is I cannot log in to the pc to
change it back to joining the domain - as I don't have the password!! I am
the IT department - but the administrator's password is only valid on a
domain - I don't have the admin password for the local pc - this is my
problem - CATCH 22!!

Fec

 

[Mike Brannigan [MSFT]]

see my reply to you 3 days ago for options to get into your PC.

--

Regards,

Mike
--
Mike Brannigan [Microsoft]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights

Please note I cannot respond to e-mailed questions, please use these
newsgroups

 

[Torgeir Bakken \(MVP\)]

Thanks for the reply

I know what you are saying - the problem is I cannot log in to the pc to
change it back to joining the domain - as I don't have the password!! I am
the IT department - but the administrator's password is only valid on a
domain - I don't have the admin password for the local pc - this is my
problem - CATCH 22!!

Hi

You might try to reset the local Administrator password with one
of the methods mentioned here:

http://securityadmin.info/noframes/faqget.asp#password

http://www.petri.co.il/forgot_administrator_password.htm