Distribute password across PCs in a workgroup

I would like to distribute new password for a specific user for all or some PCs which are part of a private work group. Is there a way to set this up? All PCs are running Windows 7.

Ajesh John

Posted 2014-06-10T11:58:51.133

Reputation: 1

Is this a domain? If not, do you have admin rights on all pcs? – EliadTech – 2014-06-10T12:01:45.050

@EliadTech He said private work group. That's not AD :) – Colyn1337 – 2014-06-10T12:03:50.480

What exactly do you mean by "distribute new password for a specific user"? – a CVn – 2014-06-10T12:17:33.290

Same user exists in all PCs. So, when the password of the user changes in one PC, it has to reflect in all the PCs. I can do it myself, but looking for any existing automatic way. – Ajesh John – 2014-06-10T12:19:15.803

2As far as I know, without the computers being part of a domain, you are limited to modifying the local user account on each individual computer. – CharlieRB – 2014-06-10T12:34:11.023

Answers

Deploy Active Directory and join the PC's to a domain. This will allow you to utilize Group Policy to push local user accounts to the PC's.

Alternatively, you can look at Novell's IDM and eDirectory along with ZCM. Novell is arguably the biggest competitor to Microsoft and Active Directory.

Additionally, if you know the IP's and what a current administrator account is for each of the computers, you can script the change using PSExec to execute another script on the computer to create a new account.

Colyn1337

Posted 2014-06-10T11:58:51.133

Reputation: 1 191

The PCs are not in a domain. But, you also said "utilize Group policy to push local user accounts" - is it possible to change just the password of an existing local account? – Ajesh John – 2014-06-10T12:17:28.670

@AjeshJohn I listed the 3 options I know of. The last one seems to be what you're looking for. – Colyn1337 – 2014-06-10T12:41:05.947

Thanks for the options. The next for me is to reconfigure the services that use this account. I am looking at managed service accounts. So, I might end up with having a domain controller. Can't upvote - not reputed enough. – Ajesh John – 2014-06-11T06:00:07.593

If you have the ability to join the computers to a domain, you can centrally set the password using the Users & Computers snapin. If you don't have a domain available or this isn't feasable, you have a few other options:

1)C:\windows\system32\lusrmgr.msc will allow you to manually edit users quickly without going through all the hassle of control panel.

2)VBS:

Set objShell = CreateObject("Wscript.Shell")

Set objEnv = objShell.Environment("Process")
strComputer = objEnv("COMPUTERNAME")
strUser = inputbox("Enter the username for the new admin account.")
strPass = inputbox("Enter the password for the new account.")

Set colAccounts = GetObject("WinNT://" & strComputer & ",computer")

Set objUser = colAccounts.Create("user", strUser)

objUser.SetPassword strPass

Const ADS_UF_DONT_EXPIRE_PASSWD = &h10000
objPasswordExpirationFlag = ADS_UF_DONT_EXPIRE_PASSWD
objUser.Put "userFlags", objPasswordExpirationFlag

objUser.SetInfo 

Set Group = GetObject("WinNT://" & strComputer & "/Administrators,group")
Group.Add(objUser.ADspath)

This can then be pushed out with psexec or quickly run on all PCs. Remember to run this script as an admin.

Fazer87

Posted 2014-06-10T11:58:51.133

Reputation: 11 177

I am looking for a way to "set this up" as in in an automatic way. Someone changes password of the user in one PC, and it takes effect on all PCs. All PCs joined to the workgroup have the same credentials for this one user. – Ajesh John – 2014-06-10T12:16:24.610

1In that case, you need something like Colyn said - either a centralised Active directory or some other directory based solution such as IDM, ZCM etc... – Fazer87 – 2014-06-10T12:23:06.323