Why can't I set a password to my user account?

[tank222]

I'm trying to set a password for my user account, but every time I enter it and hit the "create password" button, an error message pops up saying "Windows cannot change the password". Any ideas on why thats happening to me?

 

[Dwarf]

Hi tank222 and welcome to Vista Forums

Have a look at this Tutorial to see if it helps solve your problem: http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/167735-password-prevent-allow-change.html

 

[tank222]

That didn't work because I have the Home Premium version of Vista. I appreciate the effort though.

 

[Dwarf]

Hi tank222,

That didn't work because I have the Home Premium version of Vista. I appreciate the effort though.

Sorry, I missed that

Try this. Click on the start orb and type cmd into the search box and press and hold Ctrl, Shift and then press enter/return. You will need to provide administrative credentials to continue. At the prompt , type the following: net user tank222 followed by enter/return (assuming, of course, that your account name is tank222 - if not, change it to the correct name). Here is what I get for this command:

Notice the line User may change password. This is currently set to No.
Again at the command prompt, type the following and press enter/return: net user tank222 /Passwordchg:Yes. Here is what I get with that command:

Finally, repeating this command: net user tank222

Notice the line User may change password is now set to Yes.

Note that I have substituted my user name Dwarf in place of tank222 throughout this explanation. As mentioned above, you need to substitute the correct user name here.

 

[tank222]

I can't figure out how to find my account name. I bought the laptop from Best Buy, it was the display model. I changed the administrator name, but that didn't work. I typed in user net Administrator and something popped up, but that said Yes under User may change password.

 

[Dwarf]

Hi tank222,

It sounds as though you are using the laptop in the state it is in when you got it from Best Buy. This includes any accounts/passwords that they have set up. If you don't know the existing passwords then you cannot change them. What I suggest is that you reinstall Vista - check the user manual for details on how to do this from the recovery partition, and also how to create recovery disk(s) when you have done this. As part of this procedure, you will be able to create your own passwords and user accounts. In addition, your machine will be free of the extra stuff that Best Buy like to install.

 

[tank222]

Thanks for your help.