You may need to reset the Administrator password on Windows Server 2022 if it has been forgotten or is no longer accessible, preventing administrative access to the server.
In this guide, you will discover the steps to reset the administrator password on Windows Server 2022.
Steps to Reset the Password:
- Boot the server using installation ISO:
- Mount the Windows Server 2022 installation ISO and boot the server.
- When prompted, press any key to boot from the installation system.
- Open command prompt:
- Press Shift+F10 to open the Command Prompt window.
- Use Diskpart to assign a drive letter:
- In the Command Prompt, type “Diskpart” and press Enter.
- Use the command “list volume” to display all available volumes.
- Identify the volume of the operating system based on its size.
Example: If the OS is on “Volume 1,” the command will be:
select volume 1
assign - Exit Diskpart by typing “exit”.
- Backup and Replace Utilman.exe:
- Navigate to the system directory:
C:\Windows\System32 - Backup the original Utilman.exe by running:
copy Utilman.exe Utilman.exe.bak - Replace it with the cmd.exe file:
copy cmd.exe Utilman.exe - When prompted, press “Y” to confirm overwriting the file.
- Navigate to the system directory:
- Configure Boot Settings:
- Turn off the server and remove the ISO.
- Set the Hard Drive as the priority in the boot sequence.
- In Hyper-V Manager, set the “Automatic Start Action” startup delay to at least 10 seconds.
- Access Safe Mode and Open CMD:
- Turn on the server and press “Ctrl+Shift+Alt+F8” to enter Safe Mode.
- Click the Accessibility icon on the login screen to open Command Prompt.
- Reset the Password:
- View all server users with the following:
net user - Reset the password for a particular user, using the following command:
NET USER <username> <new-password>
- View all server users with the following:
- Restore Boot Settings
- Turn off the server, and set the startup delay in Automatic Start Action back to 0 seconds.
- Turn on the server normally.
Following these steps, you can successfully reset the Administrator password on Windows Server 2022. If you face any difficulties, don’t hesitate to contact our support team for assistance.
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