0

Some background:

I installed Windows Server Essentials and ran the Essentials Configuration Wizard, which created a new AD forest with a single domain.

However, I needed the AD from a previously-replicated DC for that new Essentials server. What I had here was two separate forests, each with a single domain. Of course that wouldn't work. So I demoted the WSE server, joined the domain of the previously-replicated DC, and then promoted the WSE server into a DC.

Everything worked fine, except for one little hitch: the service account for the WSE Media Streaming Service now has mismatched passwords. The service is configured with the new password that was created when I ran the wizard, and the service account has the old password from the previously-replicated AD. So the service fails to start, leaving nasty nasties in the System Event Log (specifically, EventID 7038 - bad password).

Well and good, I told myself. We'll just reset that password and we'll be up and running in no time.

Not so fast.

Here's the cmdlet I used:

Get-ADServiceAccount -Identity MediaAdmin | Reset-ADServiceAccountPassword

Here's the error:

Object reference not set to an instance of an object.

Now isn't that strange?

There's no question that the MediaAdmin service account exists:

enter image description here

How can I reset that service account password so that I can start the service?

InteXX
  • 713
  • 13
  • 31
  • Have you checked this article? https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-server/deployment/post-deployment-configuration-task-fail – J-M Dec 17 '21 at 08:19
  • 1
    I have, yes, thanks. That's for EventID 7041, logon as a service. I'm getting 7038, bad password. I updated my question accordingly. – InteXX Dec 17 '21 at 16:04

1 Answers1

0

Have you verified that you do not have a replication issue? (dcdiag /q)

Have you assigned the service account to AD computer object and installed it on the new server? If not, this could be a solution to your problem.

Run this with Domain Admin credentials:

Add-ADComputerServiceAccount -Identity <NewServer> -ServiceAccount MediaAdmin

Run this on <NewServer>

Install-ADServiceAccount -Identity MediaAdmin

Then open the service settings on the "Log On" tab and re-enter the MSA account name. Leave the password blank.

Daniel
  • 6,780
  • 5
  • 31
  • 60
  • I'm pretty sure my goof was running the Essentials Configuration Wizard BEFORE joining the domain and promoting to a DC. I've learned since that we're supposed to do that after the fact. I hope to get to the task of redoing everything by the end of the week, and I'll post my results here. – InteXX Jan 04 '22 at 22:13