How to Reset Windows Server 2012 R2 Password

How to Reset Windows Server 2012 R2 Password

Previously I wrote how to reset Windows Server 2008 administrator password and it is very similar to Server 2008. To reset the password you need Server 2012 media or ISO and a server to reset the password.

• Insert the media/DVD and boot from it.

• On the First screen select your language and country and click on Next

• Select Repair your Computer and Troubleshoot

• Select Command Prompt

Change your drive letter E: (depend on your Server)

Go to C:\windows\system32 and type ren utilman.exe utilman.exe.old

Copy cmd.exe utilman.exe

• Close Command Prompt and click on Continue, it would restart your server.

• On the log on screen Press Windows key + U key, it would open command prompt windows.

Type net user administrator password2015   and press enter

close command prompt windows and try your log back onto your server with your new password.

Now the last bit to put things back to normal. 

Please follow the same steps as mentioned above;

Restart the server with DVD inside, select language/country etc.

Select Repair your Computer

 Select Troubleshoot

Open Command Prompt

rename existing utilman.exe to something like utilman.exe.old2

rename old utilman.exe back to its original name

ren utilmanexe utilman.exe.old2

ren utilman.exe.old utilman.exe

close the command prompt and Continue.

One more way to resolve this:

open Command prompt as administrator

ren utilman.exe utilman.exe.old2

You might get a access denied error but I use, when you try to rename Utilman.exe.old to utilaman.exe

takeown /f utilman.exe.old

icacls utilman.exe.old /grant Administrators:F

Now you could run this command.

ren utilman.exe.old utilman.exe

Close the command prompt and Continue.