Windows Password Help

Cannot Change Password Because Domain Is Not Available

If you try to log to your Microsoft Windows XP computer by using a user principal name (UPN), you may receive a prompt asking you to change your password. Additionally, when you attempt to change the password, an error message similar to the one given below may be displayed:

“The system cannot change your password now because the domain is not available.”

Note: User Principal Name (UPN) is a system user name that is created in the e-mail address format in the Active Directory services of your Windows computer. For example, myname@xyz.com.

Cause of the Error

This error is generated when you try to log across a forest trust.

Note: A forest trust is a manually created two-way transitive trust between two forest root domains. It helps in simplifying the management because it reduces the number of external trusts required to share information and resources between the two forest domains.

Resolution Method

A hotfix to resolve this specific problem is available. To obtain the hotfix, you need to submit the request on the following Microsoft Web site:

http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=6294451

To enable the hotfix, perform the following steps:

Warning: The steps discussed below require you to work with the Windows registry. You must be very careful while editing the registry because there is no undo option in Registry Editor and any mistakes in registry edits may render your PC unbootable. This is the reason why, it is recommended that you back up the registry before you make any changes to it.

1. Open Start menu, select Run, type regedit in the open box, and then click the OK button.
2. In the Registry Editor window, navigate to the following registry subkey, and then right-click on it.
   
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
   
   
3. Point to New, and then select the DWORD Value command.
4. Type the value name as ChangePasswordUseKerberos, and then press Enter.
5. Double-click the newly added ChangePasswordUseKerberos value, in the Value data filed type 1, and then click OK.
6. Close the Registry Editor window.