Machine Account Secure Channel Password Reset

[Utanka]

Hello, we are running a Windows 2003 Standard Server with only a Domain Controller. There is also a Windows 2003 standard member server with exchange, IIS, and cert svc. Now, I know how can I reset systems account secure channel passwords using nltest and netdom but don’t know on this setup, none of these are working.

Due to some unknown reason our member server has lost its secure channel and I’m not able to run disjoining as domain is not available because it is a certificate server for the domain. Whenever I try running nltest or netdom from DC or from member server, it gives several types of error messages such as access denied, domain not found, bad target name, and many more.

Do anyone of you have came across such issues? Is there any working solution for the same? Please help.

[Fawiza]

Hello Utanka, instead of providing my own workarounds on this problem, I would like you to check the following Microsoft KB Articles describing the same problems in details:

• Resetting computer accounts in Windows 2000 and Windows XP: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/216393/
• Reset Machine Account Passwords of a Windows 2000 Domain Controller: http://support.microsoft.com/default...;EN-US;q260575
• reset machine account passwords of a Windows Server 2003 : http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;325850

Let us know if you need anymore help.

[Utanka]

I appreciate your help friend but i have already mentioned in my above posts that i have already all these and none of them worked for me. Is there any other suggestion apart from this?

Thanks again.

[Fawiza]

As per 'other suggestions' i can better suggest you moving the CA to another server, check. Yes, that may work for you. You can get more info about the same in the below URLs:

How to decommission a Windows enterprise certification authority and how to
remove all related objects from Windows Server 2003 and from Windows 2000
Server: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/889250/en-us

How to move a certification authority to another server: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/298138

How to Use Key and Certificate Backup/Restore Utility: http://support.microsoft.com/?id=185195

Certificate Server Does Not Create Backups of Installed Keys: http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;216922

Certification Authority Maintenance: http://technet2.microsoft.com/Window....mspx?mfr=true