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ToggleHow do you change the password expiration date on an Active Directory user account?
is one of the most common ways for your business to secure its sensitive data. Having an effective strategy in place to protect information and changing the password expiration date is one of the most important security measures. By regularly changing user passwords, you can minimize the risk of attack from malicious actors. But without the right tools and processes in place, it can become an arduous process to regularly update passwords. Here, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about changing password expiration dates in Active Directory (AD).
Overview of Active Directory
Active Directory (AD) is a directory service developed by Microsoft that stores and organizes all the information related to the accounts of a Windows network. It is used for user management, group policy and security authentication. AD services are the first layer of defence as they allow to control access to network resources, restrict user permissions and monitor user activities.
Importance of Regularly Changing Password Expiration Dates in Active Directory
Passwords are the key to secure access to any device or system. Security experts often recommend that passwords should be changed at least every 90 days for enhanced security. However, managing a large number of systems can become difficult, especially when it comes to track password expiration dates. The lack of regular password changes can leave the company vulnerable to cyberattacks and data breaches. Therefore, enabling password expiration policies in AD helps to keep the networks secure.
Steps to Change Password Expiration Date in Active Directory
To change the password expiration date in Active Directory, follow the steps below:
- Launch the ADUC console (Active Directory Users and Computers) from the Start menu.
- Create a default domain policy if you don’t already have one.
- Go to the Default Domain Controllers Policy, and open the Default Domain Controller Security Settings.
- In the console tree, expand Account Policies, then Password Policy.
- In the right pane, double-click Maximum Password Age.
- Enter a new password age based on your security protocols.
- Click OK and apply the changes.
FAQs
What is Active Directory?
Active Directory (AD) is a directory service developed by Microsoft that stores and organizes all the information related to the accounts of a Windows network. It is used for user management, group policy and security authentication.
Why is it important to change the password expiration date in Active Directory?
By regularly changing user passwords via password expiration policies in Active Directory, you can minimize the risk of attack from malicious actors as passwords are the key to secure access to any device or system.
What are the steps to change password expiration date in Active Directory?
To change the password expiration date in Active Directory, launch the ADUC console (Active Directory Users and Computers) from the Start menu. Create a default domain policy if you don’t already have one, go to the Default Domain Controllers Policy, and open the Default Domain Controller Security Settings. In the console tree, expand Account Policies, then Password Policy. In the right pane, double-click Maximum Password Age. Enter a new password age based on your security protocols. Click OK and apply the changes.
Conclusion
In conclusion, changing password expiration date in Active Directory is one of the most important security measures. Keeping up with regular password changes can be a time consuming process, but this is one of the most effective ways to secure the authentication process and prevent malicious actors from accessing the company’s sensitive data. Instead of manually changing passwords or relying on self-service password reset tools, we suggest creating a free account to manage user passwords and passcodes and to automate password expiration in Active Directory. also ensures extra security to protect against any future data breach.
Password expiration is a critical component of Active Directory security, and regular password changes are necessary to protect a company’s networks and systems. By establishing a policy to set password expiration dates, organizations are better equipped to protect their systems from malicious attacks while still keeping up with the needs of their users.
The Active Directory utility makes it easy to not only set a password expiration date, but also to change it whenever necessary. In order to set or change a password expiration date, users must first log into their network with domain administrator credentials. After logging in, they should open the “Active Directory Users and Computers” utility from the Start menu, and locate the user account that they want to modify.
Next, they should right-click on the user account they want to modify, and select “Properties.” This will open the user account’s properties window, where users can click the “Account” tab and then check the “Password never expires” option. This will ensure that the password never expires and will also disable the expiration date field.
If users want to set an expiration date, they can click the “Account” tab and then uncheck the “Password never expires” option. The expiration date field will now be enabled, and users can enter a date or choose one from the calendar. When they’re done, they should click “OK” to save the changes and apply the expiration date.
By setting a password expiration date, users can ensure the security of their networks and systems, while still allowing their users a reasonable amount of time to update their passwords. With this guide, users now know how to set and change password expiration dates in Active Directory.

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