How To Recover Domain Password On Windows Server 2008/2003/2000?

kcmjr

Member since:
May 5th, 2011
Points: 4,137,080

Exactly what are you attempting to do?  Hack a domain or did someone forget their password?

If someone forgot their password have the domain administrator reset it.

If you are the domain administrator, and have lost all administrative access....shame on you....

You have a few options.  None of which involve what you noted.

1. Reinstall the domain.  My guess is that your domain is small enough to allow you to do this, otherwise you would have contacted the domain administrator.
2. Download the "offline nt password" recovery tool.  http://www.pogostick.net/~pnh/ntpasswd/  and burn it to a CD.  Shut off any additional domain controllers.  Boot the PDC emulator from the CD.  Follow the directions and BLANK the admin password.  Reboot and log in using the now blank password. Set up an additional admin account.  Wait a few hours, then turn on the other DC(s).

The other options are long and complicated and my assumption is that none of them will work in this case so there is no need in devling into them.

Now, if you are trying to hack in to a domain, you're on your own.  You'll need to Google the options.  What I will say is L0phtCrack is the defacto standard in Windows password crackers.  You might try that. 

'nuff said...

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