Even advanced server users may have no idea how to do it when they forgot the administrator password for Windows Server. Therefore, questions such as “Forgot my Windows Server 2008 R2 administrator password, what is the procedure to reset it?” are often raised in some forums. Here’s a question posed on the Microsoft forum.
Now, this article summarizes some solutions to forget Windows Server 2008 R2 administrator password, either local administrator password or domain administrator password. Help regain access to the server computer by resetting the Windows Server 2008 R2 administrator password without data loss.
Solutions for Forgetting Windows Server 2008 R2 Administrator Password Solution 1: Reset the Windows Server 2008 R2 administrator password by using the installation media Solution 2: Reset the Windows Server 2008 R2 administrator password by using
- a specialized tool Solution 1: Reset the Windows Server 2008 R2 administrator password
- by using the disk
When you forget your Windows Server 2008 R2 administrator password, you can use a Windows Server 2008 R2 installation disc to reset your password. If you have kept or can find a Windows Server 2008 R2 installation media, start the server computer from the installation media to reset the Windows Server 2008 R2 administrator password.
Step 1: Boot the computer from the Windows Server 2008 R2 installation media.
1. Insert the installation disc into your server computer.
2. Boot your computer from the installation disc.
Step 2: Replace the .exe Utilman file.
1. After the computer boots from the installation media, it displays the Windows Server 2008 R2 installation window. Choose your language and click Next.
2. Click the Repair your computer link.
3. In the System Recovery Options window, select the installation version and partition. Click Next.
4. Click the Command Prompt link.
5. Now, the Command Prompt dialog box opens. You must back up the utilman.exe file by running the MOVE command D:WindowsSystem32Utilman.exe D:WindowsSystem32Utilman.exe.bak.
6. Next, you need to copy cmd.exe and rename it to Utilman.exe by running the command D:WindowsSystem32cmd.exe D:WindowsSystemUtilman.exe.
7. Now, close the Command Prompt dialog box and exit
the Windows Server 2008 R2 installation media.
Step 3: Reset the Windows Server 2008 R2 administrator password
.
1. Restart your computer. This time it will boot from your Windows Server 2008 R2 system.
2. When you reach the login screen, click the Accessibility icon to open the command prompt.
3. At the command prompt, run the command net user “net user administrator <new password>“.
4. Exit the command prompt and log in with your administrator with the newly reset password.
Step 4: Revert the changes made to cmd.exe and Utilman.exe.
After you successfully reset the Windows Server 2008 R2 administrator password, you must revert the changes you made to the cmd.exe and Utilman.exe file.
Step 1: Restart your computer from the installation disc.
Step 2: Go to the command prompt. Run the copy Utilman.exe cmd.exe command.
Step 3: Run the command move Utilman.exe.bak Utilman.exe.
Now, everything is fine, exit the installation disc and restart your server computer.
Solution 2: Reset
the Windows Server 2008 R2 administrator password by using a specialized tool Forgot your Windows Server 2008 R2 administrator password
and you don’t have a Windows Server 2008 R2 installation disk? So, the quick fix should be to reset Windows Server 2008 R2 administrator password with specialized password recovery tool – iSumsoft Windows Password Refixer.
Step 1: Create a bootable password reset disk.
1. Download and install Windows Password Refixer Ultimate on another accessible computer.
2. Insert a USB flash drive or CD/DVD drive into that accessible computer.
3. Run Windows Password Refixer Ultimate and follow its instructions to burn it to USB media or CD/DVD. (Your media will be formatted before recording.)
When burning successfully, you have created a bootable password reset disk.
Step 2: Reset the Windows Server 2008 R2 administrator password.
1. Boot your server computer from bootable USB flash drive or CD/DVD.
2. After loading Windows PE the Windows Password Refixer Ultimate screen appears. Select your Windows Server 2008 R2 system and that administrator account. And click the Reset Password button to reset your password.
iSumsoft Windows Password Refixer will give your administrator a new default password iSumsoft@2014. After resetting the password, exit the USB media or CD/DVD and restart your computer. You can then log on to Windows Server 2008 R2 Manager with the newly reset password.
In addition: You can also click the Add User button to create a new account with administrator privileges. Then log in to this newly created administrator account to reset the forgotten administrator password.
Additional solutions when forgetting Windows Server 2008 R2 administrator password.
The 2 solutions above work when you forgot the Windows Server 2008 R2 local administrator or domain administrator password. In addition to that, there are some basic solutions you need to know.
Solution 1: Reset the Windows Server 2008 R2 administrator password as another administrator.
If another administrator is accessible on the server computer, log on as that administrator to reset the administrator password. If you’re in the domain, ask your domain administrator to reset your password.
Solution 2: Reset the Windows Server 2008 R2 administrator password by using the password reset disk.
If you created a password reset disk before you forgot the Windows Server 2008 R2 administrator password. Connect the reset disk to the server computer and click directly the Reset Password link on the logon screen and follow the Reset Password Wizard to reset the administrator password.