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If you set a password policy correctly, it will apply to your computers and you will be able to set it however you want. I suspect you are not applying the policy correctly. The setting is a computer setting, so either apply in the default domain policy (or better, create a new policy at the same level at the root of the domain), or apply a policy to an OU containing your computers. It will do nothing to users accounts.<br />
<br />
As you can see the password policy is a computer configuration:<br />
Computer Configuration/Windows Settings/Security Settings/Account Policies/Password Policy
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Edit:<br />
I tried on another computer and it works normally. The problem is only on one specific computer.<br />
On this computer when I launch gpedit.msc I receive this error:<br />
<br />
Resource '$(string.VerMgmtAuditMode<wbr />Enable)' referenced in attribute displayName could not be found. File C:\windows\PolicyDefinitio<wbr />ns\inetres<wbr />.admx, line 1495, column 249<br />
<br />
I installed the .msi from here (<a href="http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=6243" rel="ugc">http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=6243</a>) in C:\Windows with no amelioration.<br />
<br />
Is there any registry key to edit to fix this problem?<br />
<br />
Any idea?<br />
<br />
Thanks.
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OK, the problem was because of HP protect tools installed on the computer... Thank you HP !<br />
<br />
I installed all HP related products and it finally worked like a charm.
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Thanks for your help and your time !
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Yes HP Protect Tools is horrible. All of the HP crapware is awful, and takes time to remove.<br />
<br />
I always blow away the OEM image and reinstall using a clean image with the latest updates integrated. See mydigitallife for tools to do that yourself.
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<div class="content wysiwyg-content">
Hi Experts,<br />
<br />
We encounter a strange issue on a SBS 2008 server. The password policy settings are all configured to disable the complexity, expiration or history. We can create a new user in dsa.msc or SBS control panel on the server but it is impossible on the client computers. An error about complexity or history appears, even if we set a complex password. <br />
We tried to activate the complexity, it was successfully applied on the client computer (checked in gpedit.msc), but the result is the same...<br />
<br />
We absolutely need to be able to create new local users on the client computers to install a software successfully.<br />
<br />
Any idea ?
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Hi Experts,

We encounter a strange issue on a SBS 2008 server. The password policy settings are all configured to disable the complexity, expiration or history. We can create a new user in dsa.msc or SBS control panel on the server but it is impossible on the client computers. An error about complexity or history appears, even if we set a complex password. 
We tried to activate the complexity, it was successfully applied on the client computer (checked in gpedit.msc), but the result is the same...

We absolutely need to be able to create new local users on the client computers to install a software successfully.

Any idea ?

Password policies on SBS 2008

Small Business Server (SBS) is a line of server operating systems targeted at small businesses by bundling the operating system with a number of other Microsoft products that would normally need to be purchased or licensed separately. The most notable inclusions are Exchange, SQL Server, SharePoint and ISA/TMG (Microsoft's firewall and proxy server).

Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2, based on the Microsoft Vista codebase, is the last 32-bit server operating system released by Microsoft. It has a number of versions, including including Foundation, Standard, Enterprise, Datacenter, Web, HPC Server, Itanium and Storage; new features included server core installation and Hyper-V.

Windows Server 2008

This topic area includes legacy versions of Windows prior to Windows 2000: Windows 3/3.1, Windows 95 and Windows 98, plus any other Windows-related versions including Windows Mobile.