Table of Contents

Active Directory Password Management

Password Complexity for Windows Server 2008 R2

Edit Domain Policy

  1. Run gpmc.msc (Group Policy Management)
  2. Expand Forest
  3. Expand Domains
  4. Expand your Domain
  5. Expand Group Policy Objects
  6. Right-click Default Domain Policy (or your desired policy object) and choose Edit
  7. Select the Settings tab
  8. Then browse to Computer Configurations → Policies → Windows Settings → Security Settings → Account Policies → Password Policy
  9. Edit the settings or disable Password Complexity

Testing Authentication

Here is a quick and simple function which authenticates a user to AD at the PowerShell command line: 

Function Test-ADAuthentication {
    param($username,$password)
    (new-object directoryservices.directoryentry "",$username,$password).psbase.name -ne $null
}

PS C:\> Test-ADAuthentication "dom\myusername" "mypassword"
True

Tools

http://www.wisesoft.co.uk/articles/bulk_ad_users_beta_testing.aspx

http://www.wisesoft.co.uk/articles/password_control_2.5_betatesting.aspx

Forums: http://www.wisesoft.co.uk/forum/forum1-password-control.aspx

Tools from WiseSoft help when manipulating multiple users, as during a new installation or cutover.