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Change passwords for the default access account (Windows SharePoint Services)

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Applies To: Windows SharePoint Services 3.0

 

Topic Last Modified: 2007-04-11

Use this procedure to change the password for the default content access account. The default content access account is the account used to crawl content. This account can be overridden by specifying a different account by using a crawl rule. This account must have the Read permission for the content that the account is crawling. It is a best practice to limit the account's access to the content to read-only. If the account password expires and is not updated, the search feature will not be able to crawl content.

Note

These procedures can be performed only after the password has been changed on the domain controller. The credentials entered are checked against those on the domain controller. If you enter the new password before the password has been changed on the domain controller, an error will result and the settings will not be changed.

Note

This procedure needs to be run only on the server that is running the SharePoint Central Administration Web site.

Important

You must be a member of the Farm Administrators group (WSS_RESTRICTED_WPG Windows security group) to complete these procedures.

Change the password for the default content access account by using the user interface

  1. In the SharePoint Central Administration Web site, on the Operations tab, in the Topology and Services section, click Services on server.

  2. Click Windows SharePoint Services Search.

  3. On the Configure Windows SharePoint Server Search Service Settings page, in the Content Access Account section, type the new password in the Password box.

  4. Click OK to save the changes.

Change the password for the default content access account by using the command line

  1. On the computer running the Central Administration Web site, navigate to the Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\BIN folder.

  2. At a command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:

    Stsadm –o spsearch –farmcontentaccessaccount <domain\usename> -farmcontentaccesspassword <password>