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Windows 7 clients machine password reset

We recently had to rebuilt a domain controller in active directory for a remote site. Some of the machines would not allow us to log onto the domain anymore.

Several of our servers at this site cited the "the trust relationship between this workstation and the domain failed". After rebuilding the domain controller I fixed the servers (server 2008 r2) by running this command

Reset-ComputerMachinePassword -Credential domain\admin -Server DomainController1

I tried to run this same command on my windows 7 clients but that didn't work. It complained about the credential parameter. I read a method for doing the same thing with NETDOM but these clients don't have netdom on them.

I also tried this script to no avial

Set objComputer = GetObject _
("LDAP://CN=client1,OU=clients1,OU=COMPUTERS,DC=DOMAIN1,DC=COM")
objComputer.SetPassword "client1$"

We can fix the machines by having someone at the site take them off the domain and readding them. This is not an acceptable solution since there are a bunch of problematic systems and no permanent IT staff on site.

We can't do the remove / readd to the domain remotely since as soon as the systems come off the domain the firewall turns back to defaults, and remote desktop is disabled. Also remote registry is disabled too.

Here's what I tried
> running the powershell script above over RDP by signing on with local admin
> resetting the computer account on the domain controller (right click)
> running the vbscript above

I need to reset the machine account password remotely for dozens of systems.

Thanks in advance

mrcannon

This article mentions running the netdom on UAC machines as administrator. Did you do that (even if logged in as admin)?

http://implbits.com/About/Blog/tabid/78/post/don-t-rejoin-to-fix-the-trust-relationship-between-this-workstation-and-the-primary-domain-failed/Default.aspx

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Skyler Kincaid

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bbcac

ASKER

These windows 7 boxes don't have netdom unfortunately

Sam Simon Nasser

as said by xkincaiddx, just remove the join (make it as work group), restart, rejoin your domain and restart. this will remove the error (the trust relationship between this workstation and the domain failed)

bbcac

ASKER

I can't restart as stated before but as xKincaidx I just skipped the reboot and it worked like a charm. No need to remove the AD computer object. Infact it was easier to not do that.

All fixed

Thanks

bbcac

ASKER

no need to remove the computer object from AD

Skyler Kincaid

If you remove the computer from AD it gives the computer a new SID.