KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q317142: How to Change a Service Account Password with a Batch File

Article: Q317142
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): 4.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): ocsso
Last Modified: 06-AUG-2002

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0 
- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY
=======

This article explains how to change a computer's service account password by
using a batch file.

In some cases, you may want to change a service account remotely or for numerous
computers. You can use the sc.exe command to create a batch file for this
purpose. Sc.exe is a command-line utility that allows you to communicate with
the Windows NT Service Controller and services. This utility is available on the
Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Resource Kit CD-ROM.

MORE INFORMATION
================

Change the Password on a Service Account
----------------------------------------

The following is an example of how you can use the sc.exe command-line utility in
a batch file to change a service account password

  net view | find "\" >server.txt

  for /F %%i in (server.txt) do sc %%i config service_name password= new_password

where service_name is the name of the service account and <new_password> is
the new password that you want to assign to the service account.

For information about how to obtain the Windows NT Server 4.0 Resource Kit (and
the Windows NT Workstation 4.0 Resource Guide), browse to the following
Microsoft Web site:

  http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/itsolutions/reskits/rktmain.asp

Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : ocsso 
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNTW400 kbWinNTW400search kbWinNT400search kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTS400search kbWinNTS400
Version           : :4.0
Issue type        : kbinfo

=============================================================================

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.