Password - Prevent or Allow to Change

**Brink** · **METHOD ONE:**

How to Prevent or Allow a User to Change their Password in Vista

Information

This will show you how to Allow or Prevent a selected User Account from being able to change their password from User Accounts in the Control Panel (Classic View).

NOTE

By default in Vista, users are allowed to change their passwords.

WARNING

This tutorial will not work for the Vista Home Basic and Home Premium editions. lusrmgr.msc is only available for the Vista Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions.

RELATED LINKS

EXAMPLE: "Windows cannot change the password" Message
NOTE: This is the message a user will get after trying to change their password if their option to change password is set to disabled.

Message.jpg

METHOD ONE:
From Netplwiz

1. Open the Start Menu.
2. In the white line (Start Search) area, type netplwiz and press Enter.
3. Click Continue button for UAC prompt.
4. Click on the Advanced tab. (See screenshot below)
5. Click on the Advanced button.
6. Go to step 4 below in METHOD TWO below.

User_Accounts.jpg

METHOD TWO:
From Local Users and Groups Manager

1. Open the Start Menu.
2. In white line (Start Search) area, type lusrmgr.msc and press Enter.
3. Click Continue for the UAC prompt.
4. In the left pane, click on Users. (See screenshot below)
5. In the middle pane, right click on the user account you want to do this with and click Properties.

lusrmgr.jpg

6. To Prevent the Selected User from Changing their Password -
A) Check the User cannot change password box. (See screenshot below step 8)
B) Go to step 8.

7. To Allow the Selected User to Change their Password -
A) Uncheck the User cannot change password box. (See screenshot below step 8)
NOTE: This is the default setting.

8. Click OK.

Properties.jpg

9. Close the Local Users and Groups Manager window.

That's it,
Shawn

**Fmjc001** · 07-16-2008

Why is your username not there?

**Brink** · 07-16-2008

Hi Fmjc001,

It is: User_Name

I made mine to this so folks will know where to look for their user name instead.

Shawn

**Fmjc001** · 07-16-2008

Oh, Ok. When i change my username I get all sorts of messages about security errors and policies lol.

Just thought you had a special computer for making tutorials or something

Thanks for the reply

lgpatton · 07-17-2008

I have not had my computer very long and have only had access to the internet for about 2 weeks. my son helped setup the internet and at the same time we changed the password. now both of us have forgotten the password he put in the system. it should not be as difficult to get into the computer as this is proving to be. I do not like Vista. someone needs to think about what the everyday person who will be using the system and make a backdoor of some kind for people like me who have very busy lifes and might forget a stupid password!!!!!!!

**Fmjc001** · 07-17-2008

	Quote:	lgpatton
	I have not had my computer very long and have only had access to the internet for about 2 weeks. my son helped setup the internet and at the same time we changed the password. now both of us have forgotten the password he put in the system. it should not be as difficult to get into the computer as this is proving to be. I do not like Vista. someone needs to think about what the everyday person who will be using the system and make a backdoor of some kind for people like me who have very busy lifes and might forget a stupid password!!!!!!!

Can you not use another account to change the password?

**Brink** · 07-17-2008

Hi lgpatton,

Method Three in this tutorial will show you how to reset the password and gain access to the administrator account again. Afterwards, you can use Method One to reset the other account's password from the administrator account.

Reset User Account Password

Hope this helps,
Shawn

mike_mty · 4 Weeks Ago

is this possible in all vista versions? when i click on advanced option i got a message saying "this computer is not runing home basc and that this complement can not be used with this version...i ..but my computer is runing home basic

**Brink** · 4 Weeks Ago

Hi Mike,

My apologies. lusrmgr.msc is only available for the Vista Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions.

Shawn

07-16-2008
Fmjc001 Official Best Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Windows Vista™ Ultimate 32bit 137 posts Ireland Rep Power: 12	Re: Password - Prevent or Allow to Change Why is your username not there?
	I would love to change the world, but they won't give me the source code

07-16-2008
Brink Administrator Join Date: Apr 2007 Vista x64 Ultimate SP1 15,097 posts Texas, USA Rep Power: 150	Re: Password - Prevent or Allow to Change Hi Fmjc001, It is: User_Name I made mine to this so folks will know where to look for their user name instead. Shawn
	There are no dumb questions, just the people that do not ask them. Vista Forums Please post feedback to help others.

07-16-2008
Fmjc001 Official Best Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Windows Vista™ Ultimate 32bit 137 posts Ireland Rep Power: 12	Re: Password - Prevent or Allow to Change Oh, Ok. When i change my username I get all sorts of messages about security errors and policies lol. Just thought you had a special computer for making tutorials or something Thanks for the reply
	I would love to change the world, but they won't give me the source code

07-17-2008
Brink Administrator Join Date: Apr 2007 Vista x64 Ultimate SP1 15,097 posts Texas, USA Rep Power: 150	Re: Password - Prevent or Allow to Change Hi lgpatton, Method Three in this tutorial will show you how to reset the password and gain access to the administrator account again. Afterwards, you can use Method One to reset the other account's password from the administrator account. Reset User Account Password Hope this helps, Shawn
	There are no dumb questions, just the people that do not ask them. Vista Forums Please post feedback to help others.

4 Weeks Ago
Brink Administrator Join Date: Apr 2007 Vista x64 Ultimate SP1 15,097 posts Texas, USA Rep Power: 150	Re: Password - Prevent or Allow to Change Hi Mike, My apologies. lusrmgr.msc is only available for the Vista Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions. Shawn
	There are no dumb questions, just the people that do not ask them. Vista Forums Please post feedback to help others.

07-17-2008
lgpatton Newbie Join Date: Jul 2008 Vista Home Premium 1 posts Rep Power: 1	Re: Password - Prevent or Allow to Change I have not had my computer very long and have only had access to the internet for about 2 weeks. my son helped setup the internet and at the same time we changed the password. now both of us have forgotten the password he put in the system. it should not be as difficult to get into the computer as this is proving to be. I do not like Vista. someone needs to think about what the everyday person who will be using the system and make a backdoor of some kind for people like me who have very busy lifes and might forget a stupid password!!!!!!!

4 Weeks Ago
mike_mty Newbie Join Date: Jul 2008 VISTA HOME BASIC 32BITS 2 posts Rep Power: 1	Re: Password - Prevent or Allow to Change is this possible in all vista versions? when i click on advanced option i got a message saying "this computer is not runing home basc and that this complement can not be used with this version...i ..but my computer is runing home basic

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