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Change passwords for Central Administration and Timer service (Windows SharePoint Services)

  • Article

Applies To: Windows SharePoint Services 3.0

 

Topic Last Modified: 2008-04-08

Use this procedure to change passwords for the Web application pool for the SharePoint Central Administration Web site and the Windows SharePoint Services Timer service. Both the Web application pool and the Timer service store the credential information and will continue to function even after the password has expired. However, if the Web application pool or the Timer service is restarted, the stored credential information is lost, and the Web application pool or the Timer service cannot be started until the credential information is updated.

If the Web application pool cannot start, a "Service Unavailable" HTTP error will be displayed to the users of any Web pages or services that the Web application provides. If the Timer service cannot start, timer jobs will not be completed. This will cause a variety of failures.

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

To save the changes, you must restart the Web application pool and the Timer service. This will cause the content or services that they provided to be momentarily unavailable while the Web application pool and the Timer service restart.

Note

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

Note

There is no equivalent user interface procedure for these procedures. You must use the command line to perform these password changes. Do not attempt to change the passwords using Windows Service Manager.

Important

Membership in the Administrators group on the local computer, or equivalent, is required to complete the following procedures. Membership in the Farm Administrators group (WSS_RESTRICTED_WPG Windows security group) is not sufficient to complete these procedures.

Change the passwords if you have access to Central Administration

Change the passwords for the Central Administration Web application pool identity and the Windows SharePoint Services Timer service by using the command line

  1. On the computer running the Central Administration Web site, open the command line and 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 updatefarmcredentials -userlogin <domain\username> -password <newpassword>

    Note

    userlogin is the server farm account.
    For additional information, see Updatefarmcredentials: Stsadm operation (Windows SharePoint Services).

  3. You must restart the Web application pool for the changes to be saved. At a command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:

    iisreset /noforce

Change the passwords if you receive a "Service Unavailable" error when trying to access Central Administration

Change the passwords for the Central Administration Web application pool identity and the Windows SharePoint Services Timer service by using the command line

  1. On the computer running the Central Administration Web site, open the command line and 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 updatefarmcredentials -userlogin <domain\username> -password <newpassword>

    Note

    userlogin is the server farm account.
    For additional information, see Updatefarmcredentials: Stsadm operation (Windows SharePoint Services).

  3. You must restart the Web application pool for the changes to be saved. At a command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:

    iisreset /noforce

  4. On every other server in the farm, navigate to the Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\BIN folder.

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

    stsadm -o updatefarmcredentials -userlogin <domain\username> -password <newpassword> -local

    Note

    userlogin is the server farm account. You must use the -local switch.
    For additional information, see Updatefarmcredentials: Stsadm operation (Windows SharePoint Services).