HOWTO: Change Passwords Programmatically in Windows NTID: Q151546
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This article describes how to change passwords on accounts in Windows NT programmatically. Net function calls are used to accomplish this task.
There are several considerations that apply to changing passwords:
/*++
Module Name:
chngpass.c
Abstract:
This sample changes the password for an arbitrary user on an arbitrary
target machine.
When targeting a domain controller for account update operations,
be sure to target the primary domain controller for the domain.
The account settings are replicated by the primary domain controller
to each backup domain controller as appropriate. The NetGetDCName()
function call can be used to get the primary domain controller
computer name from a domain name.
Username is argv[1]
new password is argv[2]
optional target machine (or domain name) is argv[3]
optional old password is argv[4]. This allows non-admin password
changes.
Note that admin or account operator privilege is required on the
target machine unless argv[4] is present and represents the correct
current password.
NetUserSetInfo() at info-level 1003 is appropriate for administrative
override of an existing password.
NetUserChangePassword() allows for an arbitrary user to override
an existing password providing that the current password is confirmed.
Link with netapi32.lib
--*/
#include <windows.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <lm.h>
#define RTN_OK 0
#define RTN_USAGE 1
#define RTN_ERROR 13
void
DisplayErrorText(
DWORD dwLastError
);
//
// Unicode entry point and argv
//
int
__cdecl
wmain(
int argc,
wchar_t *argv[]
)
{
LPWSTR wUserName;
LPWSTR wComputerName = NULL; // default to local machine
LPWSTR wOldPassword;
LPWSTR wNewPassword;
USER_INFO_1003 pi1003;
NET_API_STATUS nas;
if( argc < 3 ) {
fprintf(stderr, "Usage: %ls <user> <new_password> "
"[\\\\machine | domain] [old_password]\n",
argv[0]);
return RTN_USAGE;
}
//
// process command line arguments
//
wUserName = argv[1];
wNewPassword = argv[2];
if( argc >= 4 && *argv[3] != L'\0' ) {
//
// obtain target machine name, if appropriate,
// always in Unicode, as that is what the API takes.
//
if(argv[3][0] == L'\\' && argv[3][1] == L'\\') {
//
// target specified machine name
//
wComputerName = argv[3];
}
else {
//
// the user specified a domain name. Look up the PDC.
// This is done in both password change cases to ensure the
// same computer is targeted for the update operation.
//
nas = NetGetDCName(
NULL,
argv[3],
(LPBYTE *)&wComputerName
);
if(nas != NERR_Success) {
DisplayErrorText( nas );
return RTN_ERROR;
}
}
}
if(argc == 5) {
wOldPassword = argv[4];
} else {
wOldPassword = NULL;
}
if(wOldPassword == NULL) {
//
// administrative over-ride of existing password
//
pi1003.usri1003_password = wNewPassword;
nas = NetUserSetInfo(
wComputerName, // computer name
wUserName, // username
1003, // info level
(LPBYTE)&pi1003, // new info
NULL
);
} else {
//
// allows user to change their own password
//
nas = NetUserChangePassword(
wComputerName,
wUserName,
wOldPassword,
wNewPassword
);
}
if(wComputerName != NULL && wComputerName != argv[3]) {
//
// a buffer was allocated for the PDC name. Free it.
//
NetApiBufferFree(wComputerName);
}
if(nas != NERR_Success) {
DisplayErrorText( nas );
return RTN_ERROR;
}
return RTN_OK;
}
void
DisplayErrorText(
DWORD dwLastError
)
{
HMODULE hModule = NULL; // default to system source
LPSTR MessageBuffer;
DWORD dwBufferLength;
DWORD dwFormatFlags;
dwFormatFlags = FORMAT_MESSAGE_ALLOCATE_BUFFER |
FORMAT_MESSAGE_IGNORE_INSERTS |
FORMAT_MESSAGE_FROM_SYSTEM ;
//
// if dwLastError is in the network range, load the message source
//
if(dwLastError >= NERR_BASE && dwLastError <= MAX_NERR) {
hModule = LoadLibraryEx(
TEXT("netmsg.dll"),
NULL,
LOAD_LIBRARY_AS_DATAFILE
);
if(hModule != NULL)
dwFormatFlags |= FORMAT_MESSAGE_FROM_HMODULE;
}
//
// call FormatMessage() to allow for message text to be acquired
// from the system or the supplied module handle.
//
if(dwBufferLength = FormatMessageA(
dwFormatFlags,
hModule, // module to get message from (NULL == system)
dwLastError,
MAKELANGID(LANG_NEUTRAL, SUBLANG_DEFAULT), // default language
(LPSTR) &MessageBuffer,
0,
NULL
))
{
DWORD dwBytesWritten;
//
// Output message string on stderr
//
WriteFile(
GetStdHandle(STD_ERROR_HANDLE),
MessageBuffer,
dwBufferLength,
&dwBytesWritten,
NULL
);
//
// free the buffer allocated by the system
//
LocalFree(MessageBuffer);
}
//
// if you loaded a message source, unload it.
//
if(hModule != NULL)
FreeLibrary(hModule);
}
Keywords : kbnetwork kbAPI kbKernBase kbNTOS351 kbNTOS400 kbSDKPlatform kbSecurity kbNetAPI kbCodeSam kbGrpNet
Version :
Platform :
Issue type : kbhowto Last Reviewed: March 11, 1999