cannot change password

Question

provided instructions do not work to reset password

Answer 1

Use the path that matches the type of account and how the password is managed.

1. For a Microsoft work or school account

• Go to https://passwordreset.microsoftonline.com and follow the wizard to reset the password using registered security info (phone, email, etc.).
• If, after entering the User ID, a page appears saying to contact an administrator because the password is managed on-premises, then self-service reset is not enabled or not licensed. In that case:
  • Use the “contact an administrator” link on that page to notify the organization’s admin.
  • The admin must reset the password either in Microsoft Entra ID or, if the account is synchronized from on-premises, directly in Active Directory.
• If the account’s source of authority is on-premises Active Directory and password writeback is used, the admin must ensure password writeback is configured and working. If password reset is blocked by on-premises policies, the password must be changed on the domain controller.

2. For a personal Microsoft account (Outlook/Hotmail, consumer Microsoft 365)

• If the current password is known and only a change is needed:
  • Sign in at https://account.microsoft.com.
  • Go to Security, then select the Change password link.
  • Enter the current password and then a new password, and save.
• If the password is forgotten:
  • Use the “Reset your Microsoft account password” option from the sign-in page and complete verification using phone, email, or other security info.
  • If two-step verification is enabled and none of the security methods are available, select “I don’t have any of these” when prompted and complete the account recovery form with as much accurate information as possible (recent emails, contacts, etc.). For accounts with 2FA, this is the only supported way to regain access when all verification methods are lost.

3. When “User must change password at next logon” is enabled and the change fails

• If an admin reset a user’s password and checked “User must change password at next logon,” the user may see an “old password is incorrect” error when trying to change the password at first logon.
• This can be caused by Active Directory replication latency between the primary domain controller (PDC) and the user’s local domain controller.
• To resolve:
  • Have the admin change the password on a domain controller in the same site as the user (using Active Directory Users & Computers connected to that DC), or
  • Wait until replication completes, then have the user try again with the reset password as the “old” password.

4. When password reset in Active Directory Users & Computers fails with “The system cannot find the path specified”

• If an admin tries to reset a password in Active Directory Users & Computers and gets this error, the cause can be missing encryption support files in the admin’s AppData path (for example, after redirecting AppData without copying the original data).
• To fix this:
  • Move or copy the original data from the old AppData location to the new redirected location, or
  • Revert the AppData folder redirection so the required files are available.

5. If all automated options fail

• For personal Microsoft accounts, complete the recovery form at the “I don’t have any of these” step and wait for the result.
• If still unable to change or reset the password, sign in with any other account and contact Microsoft Support, choosing the appropriate account recovery or password reset support path, because community tools cannot directly modify accounts.

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References:

• Reset a user's password
• Reset your Microsoft work or school account password using security info
• User may not be able to change their password if you configure the 'User must change password at next logon' setting
• Password Reset using Active Directory Users & Computers fails with error "The System cannot find the path specified"
• Change your Microsoft account password
• Unable to change password in my Outlook - Microsoft Q&A
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• Can't sign in to my email - Microsoft Q&A