Crack local password

Recently had an issue where the local Administrator password was lost for a Windows 2008 R2 server.

This is how I changed the password of the Administrator’s account using the Windows 2008 R2 installation DVD / ISO image.

Boot from the Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 DVD / ISO image (I used ISO server didn’t even have DVD Drive)

From the Install Windows menu, click “Next”.

Select “Repair your computer”

In the System Recovery Options, selected the OS instance and clicked “Next”.

Selected “Command Prompt”.

At the command prompt, I ran the following commands:

c:
cd windows\system32
ren Utilman.exe Utilman.exe.old
copy cmd.exe Utilman.exe

Rebooted the server allowed Windows to load as normal

At the logon screen, pressed Windows Key + U.
At the command prompt, entered the following command:

net user administrator NewP$sswOrd (Whatever PW you want it to be)

This set the password for the Administrator user to NewP$sswOrd.

Closed the command prompt, and was able to log back onto the server using the password from the last step.

Got in using this old trick but for good measure I put everything back….

Repeated the steps above about booting using the Windows Server 2008 R2 DVD/ISO and run the command prompt again.

Delete the newly created Utilman.exe from C:\Windows\System32
Rename Utilman.exe.old back to Utilman.exe

That’s all there was, other than the documentation of the PW this time!! (It’s not NewP$sswOrd anymore)

DHCP Not handing out addresses after importing all settings?

Here is the scenario I ran into… Following the import of all DHCP data from a “soon to be retired” DHCP/DC (2003) to a new DHCP/DC (2008 R2) and the subsequent demotion of the old DHCP/DC, new DHCP leases were not being handed out to clients. The DHCP Server Service was restarted and the following error came into the System Event log.

 

Looks like following the Import the Bindings are not properly configured, which if you think about it makes sense as the adapter and/or the address would be different.

Here’s how to Configure the DHCP Server bindings.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc774857(WS.10).aspx

Unattended Windows Setup–A must have if you deploy more than a few machines

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff699026(WS.10).aspx

Configuration Passes

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc749307(WS.10).aspx

Rhonda Layfield – Good place to start, Author/Expert.

http://www.windowsitpro.com/Author/5739141/

Cannot change permissions in Component Services (2008 R2)

Own of the dig deep kind of things, where some persistence can solve those pesky DCOM errors, incidentally a lower level tech I once knew called “Not important”, hardly the case as DCOM stand for Distributed Component Object Model, and that’s what servers do.

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/emeadaxsupport/archive/2010/01/26/unable-to-edit-the-dcom-settings-for-iis-wamreg-admin-service-on-a-windows-server-2008-r2-when-trying-to-configure-kerberos-authentication-for-role-centers.aspx

 

http://www.wictorwilen.se/Post/Fix-the-SharePoint-DCOM-10016-error-on-Windows-Server-2008-R2.aspx

Dual boot your Windows 7 PC, add 2008 R2 and Hyper V

Special Thanks to Keith Combs, this is a fine post, that I’ve not personally tried but was able to implement for a presenter in my company. Not sure if there are hardware specifics.

http://blogs.technet.com/b/keithcombs/archive/2009/10/15/using-hyper-v-without-re-installing-your-world.aspx

Setting the Server Edition in Windows Server 2008 R2 – Upgrading without media – TechNet Blogs

Upgrading Windows Server 2008 R2 without media – TechNet Blogs

Pay special attention as MAK keys span editions and result in a 1605 Error Code.

Instead of using the a MAK key use the generic KMS client key for Windows 2008 R2 Enterprise it is  489J6-VHDMP-X63PK-3K798-CPX3Y. This will not activate but later you can apply the proper key by Changing product key from Control Panel\System and Security\System or Right-Click of Computer –> Properties.