Windows NT 4.0
To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows NT 4.0 or Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
152734 How to Obtain the Latest Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack
Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 322756 How to back up and restore the registry in Windows
There are two workarounds for this issue.
Method 1
To work around this issue, add the following registry parameter on all Windows NT workstations:
Key = HLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NetLogon\Parameters
Value = DisablePasswordChange REG_DWORD 1
Default = 0
This will prevent workstations from changing passwords. You can add this registry value after having joining the domain and restarting so that the computer account password would have at least been changed one time with a random value that is known only by the system.
Method 2
To work around this issue, refuse passwords that are changed at domain controller level. To do this, add the following registry value on all domain controllers: Key = HLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NetLogon\Parameters Value = RefusePasswordChange REG_DWORD 1 Default = 0
For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
154501 How to disable automatic machine account password changes
Windows XP and later versions
In Windows XP and later versions, machine account password settings can also be configured by using Group Policy Editor (Gpedit.msc). To configure these settings, follow these steps:
- Click Start, click Run, type Gpedit.msc, and then press ENTER.
- Expand Local Computer Policy, expand Windows Settings, expand Security Settings, expand Local Policies, expand Security Settings, expand Local Policies, and then expand Security Options.
- Configure the following settings:
- Domain Member: Disable machine account password changes (DisablePasswordChange)
- Domain Member: Maximum machine account password age (MaximumPasswordAge)
- Domain Controller: Refuse machine account password changes (RefusePasswordChange)
MaximumPasswordAge has a default value of 30. The Group Policy user interface allows for a maximum value of 999 days, and the component allows for a maximum of 1,000,000 days through the registry.