Services Stop When Administrator Password Is Changed

Question

Hello,

We have three servers:

1. One for the Active Directory
2. One for the Database and Portal Hosting
3. One for the Workflow Center

Recently, we were required to change the administrator password for security reasons. However, after making this change, all services—including the portal and workflow system—stopped working, preventing employees from accessing these sites.

Could you provide guidance on why this happens and how to prevent service disruptions in the future?

BR,,

Answer 1

Hello Osama AlGhamdi,

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Community forum.

The issue you’re experiencing typically occurs because many services often rely on stored credentials to connect to other systems—for example, to authenticate against Active Directory or access a database. When the administrator password (or any credentials used by these services) is changed, the services that use those credentials will fail to authenticate until their configurations are updated. Here’s a deeper look at why this happens and some strategies to prevent such disruptions in the future:

1. Why It Happens:  

• Service Account Usage:

Many applications and services (such as your portal and workflow system) use specific accounts for authentication and connectivity. If the administrator credentials are being used as service accounts or part of connection strings, changing the password without updating the dependent applications means they’ll continue trying to use the old password.  

• Credential Caching:

Some systems cache credentials or have them hard‑coded in configuration files. After a password change, they attempt to authenticate with outdated information, resulting in service failures.  

• Interdependent Systems:

In environments where Active Directory, database servers, and web applications interlock, a single change (especially in critical accounts) can have a ripple effect if all parts of the system aren’t updated accordingly.

2. How to Prevent Service Disruptions:  

• Use Dedicated Service Accounts:

Instead of using an administrator account for service authentication, create dedicated service accounts with only the necessary permissions. This minimizes risk and limits the impact of a password change on multiple services.  

• Managed Service Accounts (MSAs or gMSAs):

In a Windows Active Directory environment, consider using MSAs or group managed service accounts. These are designed for services and applications, automatically handle password management, and reduce administrative overhead.  

• Document Dependencies and Credentials:

Maintain an inventory of services that rely on specific credentials. This way, when you plan to change passwords, you can update all related configurations at the same time.  

• Staggered Updates:

Whenever a password change is planned for a critical account, schedule a maintenance window. Then update the credentials in all service configurations (such as connection strings, service properties, scheduled tasks, etc.) immediately after the change.  

• Testing in a Staging Environment:

If possible, simulate the password change process in a staging or test environment that mirrors your production setup. This can reveal dependencies you might otherwise miss.

I hope the information above is helpful.

If you have any question or concern, please feel free to let us know.

Best Regards,

Daisy Zhou

Answer 2

When you change the administrator password in an Active Directory (AD) environment, services and applications that rely on the administrator account for authentication or execution may fail to start or function properly. This occurs because many services are configured to run under specific accounts, such as the domain administrator account, and they store the credentials statically. If the password is changed but not updated in these services’ configurations, they will attempt to authenticate using outdated credentials, leading to failures.

How to Prevent Service Disruptions in the Future

To avoid similar issues when changing passwords in your environment, follow these best practices:

Step 1: Identify All Services Using Administrator Credentials

Before changing any administrative passwords:

• Use PowerShell commands or tools like Get-WmiObject to identify all services running under specific user accounts:
• Get-WmiObject win32_service | Where-Object {$_.StartName -match "Administrator"} | ft DisplayName, StartName
• Check scheduled tasks and application pools in IIS (if applicable) that might also use static credentials.

Step 2: Create Dedicated Service Accounts

Instead of using the domain administrator account for running critical services:

• Create dedicated service accounts with limited permissions tailored for each service.
• Assign these accounts only the necessary privileges required for their operation.
• This reduces dependency on a single account and improves security by following the principle of least privilege.

Step 3: Update Credentials After Password Changes

For each identified service or application:

• Open services.msc on each server.
• Locate affected services (those configured with outdated credentials).
• Right-click each service > Properties > Log On tab.
• Update with the new password and restart the service.

Step 4: Implement Password Management Policies

To streamline future password changes without causing disruptions:

• Use a secure credential management tool like Microsoft LAPS (Local Administrator Password Solution) or third-party tools such as CyberArk or HashiCorp Vault.
• Document all dependencies on administrative accounts so you can systematically update them during planned maintenance windows.

Step 5: Test Before Deployment

Always test changes in a staging environment before applying them in production systems:

• Simulate an administrator password change.
• Verify that all dependent services continue functioning as expected after updating their configurations.

Step 6: Monitor Logs for Authentication Failures

After making changes:

• Monitor event logs across servers for Event ID 4625 (failed logon attempts) and Event ID 4776 (NTLM authentication failures).
• Investigate any remaining issues where outdated credentials might still be in use.

Answer 3

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Daisy Zhou123 and Nadeem.Mustafa

Your willingness to help in the Microsoft Community is very much appreciated, however please refrain from simply copying and pasting AI generated content.

Users are capable of asking copilot themselves, most ask here because they want help from a real person with some experience.Please read
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Microsoft Community Code of Conduct.Thank you,Martin

Answer 4

Hello Daisy Zhou123,

I sincerely appreciate the valuable information. We are in the process of creating independent accounts, but we are still facing this issue and have not found a solution yet. The previous employee did not leave any documentation or details about the previous configurations, which has made it challenging for us to resolve the problem.

We also checked the Services and IIS, but we couldn't find any field related to the administrator account.

Note: The administrator account in question was created and granted full administrative privileges.

Therefore, I would like to request your assistance if possible, as we have tried to find a solution but have not been successful.

Best Regards.