Expired password on windows xp home network, domain unavailable?

[Trevdog]

My friend is on a home network with 4 other girls and she encountered a problem loging onto her computer. She's using windows xp professional, and when she logs on she gets the message 'password expired' and she has to create a new password. However, when she types in her new password it says that the domain is unavailable. I'm wondering if this has anything to do with the fact that her login is rdouglas@istar.ca does the @istar.ca have anything to do with this? There's a 'log onto' scoll box but it's greyed out.

Anyways, i tried helping her but i'm stumped. Any suggestions?
thanks
Trevor

 

[FireWired1G]

This person has their XP Pro computer setup to log onto an NT Domain server, not a workgroup. Your average installation just wants you to type in a user name and a password for a workgroup network connection. Two ways to fix this, one reboot the comptuer into safe mode without networking (F8 at boot), log on as the "administrator" and change the logon by right clicking on "My Computer", then to Properties, and then click on the "Computer Name" tab. Click "Change" and change it from a domain to a workgroup. If this does not work, you will to format the computer and don't ever choose a domain as a log on.

 

[NucomMat]

You can login in safe mode, right click on My Computer and select "manage" Click on Users and Groups, and then click on Users, from the right pane right click on the user name she uses and select "properties", and put a check next to "Password never expires", logoff then restart normaly, and you should be able to log back on.

-Mat

 

[wolluf]

Why is she using rdouglas@istar.ca to logon to XP? (rather than just her first name for example).

Is this 'domain is unavailable' message actually stopping here using the machine? If so, as above, set her up a 'normal' name user (you need to be able to log on with Adminstrator privileges - but you don't need to do it in Safe Mode).

PS - from your description of 'home network', am assuming its a workgroup, not a domain network.

 

[Trevdog]

Well i should have mentioned it was a hand-me-down computer from her father, and i'm assuming that rdouglas@istar.ca was the account log on for her father at work. Anyways, we tried safe mode, and it took her right back to the password screen again, unfortunatly she doesn't know the administrator password, and i think we might be hardpressed to find it.
The 'domain unavailable' message drops her back into the login screen. where, should she type in a login it says her password has expired.

Is the administrator password the only way to change this?

 

[Trevdog]

Oh i should mention that when she tries loging in on safe mode with her normal account it still askes for her to make a new password.

 

[wolluf]

Go here

http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/bootdisk.html

and make yourself a bootdisk which will enable you to reset the administrator (and any other) password to what you want.

PS Safe mode has exactly the same password security as normal mode - which is why I said earlier you don't need to use safe mode.

 

[Bobg1]

You can also have her try to just logon as rdouglas
without the @istar.ca, using the old password,this would then be a local login and may allow her in. It will still ask for a new password, which she can then do.