MUST be disabled in Windows 2003 Server. By default, Windows 2003 Server now requires user passwords to meet minimum complexity requirements and password lengths. Most students usually like short, simple, easy to remember passwords and these cannot be assigned or changed in Windows 2003 Server unless this option is disabled. Disabling these features allows administrators and users to choose any password format wanted which are the defaults in Windows NT4 and Windows 2000 Server. MysaNiTy’s import password generator may not always meet this complexity requirement due to the all the complexity rules and often administrators like to assign simple passwords that may not meet the complexity or password length requirement.

Step 1: Logon on as Administrator:

Start -> All Programs -> Administrative Tools -> Active Directory Users and Computers

Step 3: Select Group Policy Tab -> Select “Default Domain Policy” ->Edit

Step 4: Navigate to- Computer Configuration->Windows Settings->Security Settings->Account Policies -> Password Policies

Step 5: Double Click “Password Must meet complexity requirements“ -> Check “Define this policy setting “ -> “ Disable “ -> “Apply” -> OK

Step 6: Select -> “Minimum Password Length “ -> Double Click

Step 7: Check “Define this policy setting” -> “Password must be at least = 1” -> Apply - > OK

(Recommend a setting of 1, mysaNiTy import auto-generate password = 6 characters, a setting of one allows for just about any password a user or network administrator may wish to set.)

Step 8: Close Active Directory for users and computers - > Reboot server to make sure these changes are made.

Step 9: After reboot, check to see if these changes have been applied by checking these settings and create one user account in Active Directory for users and computers and set a password of 1 character for the test account. If these settings have not been implemented, creating an account in “Active  Directory for users and computers” will fail and a message will appear indicting password complexity issues.