FIX: You experience various problems when you use the Password Change pages in IIS 5.0 (831047)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Internet Information Services 5.0
Important This article contains information about editing the metabase. Before you edit the metabase, verify that you have a backup copy that you can restore if a problem occurs. For information about how to do this, see the "Configuration Backup/Restore" Help topic in Microsoft Management Console (MMC).

SUMMARY

You experience various problems when you use the Password Change pages that are included with Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Service Pack 4 (SP4). You can resolve these problems by installing the hotfix that is described in this article.

SYMPTOMS

You may experience various problems when you use the Password Change pages that are included with Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Service Pack 4 (SP4):
  • The first letter of the account name for the user is truncated.
  • You cannot change passwords for users whose passwords must be changed at the next logon.
  • You cannot change passwords for users whose passwords have expired.
  • You cannot change passwords across forests.
  • You cannot use user names in an UPN format.

CAUSE

The Password Change Pages that are included with Windows 2000 Server Service Pack 4 use Active Server Pages (ASP) technology and Active Directory Service Interfaces (ADSI) technology to change user passwords. Technological limitations of ADSI cause most of the problems that are associated with the Password Change Pages.

RESOLUTION

Hotfix information

A supported hotfix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only intended to correct the problem that is described in this article. Only apply it to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. This hotfix may receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next Windows 2000 service pack that contains this hotfix.

To resolve this problem immediately, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services telephone numbers and information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support

Note In special cases, charges that are ordinarily incurred for support calls may be canceled if a Microsoft Support Professional determines that a specific update will resolve your problem. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for the specific update in question.

Prerequisites

You must install Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 before you apply this hotfix.

Restart requirement

You do not have to restart your computer after you apply this hotfix.

Hotfix replacement information

This hotfix does not replace any other hotfixes.

File information

The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later file attributes) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel.
   Date         Time   Version            Size    File name
   --------------------------------------------------------------
   05-Oct-2004  08:40                      5,735  Achg.htr
   05-Oct-2004  08:40                      2,382  Aexp.htr
   05-Oct-2004  08:40                      2,227  Aexp2.htr
   05-Oct-2004  08:40                      2,829  Aexp2b.htr
   05-Oct-2004  08:40                      1,974  Aexp3.htr
   05-Oct-2004  08:40                      2,218  Aexp4.htr
   05-Oct-2004  08:40                      2,837  Aexp4b.htr
   05-Oct-2004  08:40  5.0.2195.6982      31,504  Iispwchg.dll     
   05-Oct-2004  08:40                      2,385  Text.htr

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

MORE INFORMATION

Warning If you edit the metabase incorrectly, you can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall any product that uses the metabase. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems that result if you incorrectly edit the metabase can be solved. Edit the metabase at your own risk.

Note Always back up the metabase before you edit it.

After you apply the hotfix to update the files in the Iisadmpwd directory, follow these steps:
  1. Register the Iispwchg.dll file in the Iisadmpwd directory. To do this, click Start, click Run, type regsvr32 c:\winnt\system32\inetsrv\iisadmpwd\iispwchg.dll, and then click OK.
  2. Configure the PasswordChangeFlags property in the metabase to make sure that the Password Change functionality is enabled. To do this, follow these steps:
    1. Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
    2. Locate the C:\Inetpub\Adminscripts directory.
    3. Type the following command, and then press ENTER:

      cscript.exe adsutil.vbs set w3svc/passwordchangeflags Value

      Note In this sample command, Value is a placeholder for the value that you want to set for the PasswordChangeFlags property.
    The following list includes the possible values for the PasswordChangeFlags property. You can use a combination of these values.
    • 0

      This value is the default value. This value indicates that you must use a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) connection when you change the password.
    • 1

      This value permits password changes on non-secure ports. This value is useful if SSL is not enabled.
    • 2

      This value disables the Password Change functionality.
    • 4

      This value disables the advance notification of password expiration.
  3. Make sure that the virtual directory for the Iisadmpwd directory is correctly created and that the virtual directory points to the correct location. The correct location is System32\Inetsrv\Iisadmpwd. There is no requirement to have Anonymous Authentication enabled on the virtual directory. We recommend that you use the same authentication on this virtual directory as that of the application that redirects users to the virtual directory.
  4. Make sure that the .htr files are mapped to the Asp.dll file in the "AppMappings" section for the Iisadmpwd directory. To do this, follow these steps:
    1. In IIS Manager Microsoft Management Console (MMC), right-click the iisadmpwd directory, and then click Properties.
    2. Click the Virtual Directory tab.
    3. On the Virtual Directory tab, click Configuration.
    4. In the AppMappings section, look for a line that has .htr. That line is listed in the Extension field. Verify that the executable file that is listed to the right points to the Asp.dll file. If the link that has .htr that is listed in the Extension field does not exist, you must add it. If you must add this extension, click Add. If you must edit this extension, select the extension, and then click Edit.
    5. For the executable file, click Browse, and then locate the Asp.dll file in the System32\Inetsrv directory.
    6. In the Extension field, type .htr.
    7. Set the Limit verbs to GET,POST.
    8. Click OK to save the changes, and then close all Properties windows.
  5. Verify that the following metabase entries are correctly set:
    Metabase entry and valueDescription
    Metabase entry: AuthChangeUrl
    Metabase value: iisadmpwd/achg.htr    		This page does the actual password change work.
    Metabase entry: AuthExpiredUrl
    Metabase value: iisadmpwd/aexp.htr    		This page displays the password change form for a user whose password has expired. SSL must be enabled for this page to work. Make sure that you type the account name in the "domain\username" format.
    Metabase entry: AuthExpiredUnsecureUrl
    Metabase value: iisadmpwd/aexp3.htr    		This page displays the password change form when SSL is not enabled or is not used.
    Metabase entry: NotifyPwdExpUrl
    Metabase value: iisadmpwd/anot.htr    		If the Password Expiration Notification functionality is enabled, this page is displayed when SSL is enabled.
    Metabase entry: NotifyPwdExpUnsecureUrl
    Metabase value: iisadmpwd/anot3.htr    		If the Password Expiration Notification functionality is enabled, this page is displayed when SSL is not enabled or when SSL is not used.
    Metabase entry: PasswordExpirePreNotifyDaysThis metabase entry specifies the number of days that remain before the password of the client expires. This metabase entry also indicates when a password pre-notification message is sent.
  6. By default, the metabase entries that are related to the pages that are previously described are located at the W3SVC level in the registry and do not have to be modified. However, if the metabase entries have to be changed or have to be verified, the application Mdutil.exe can be used as follows. The application Mdutil.exe is available on the Windows 2000 Support CD.
    1. Copy Mdutil.exe to the server that is running IIS.
    2. Open a CMD window.
    3. Locate the folder that contains Mdutil.exe.
    4. To verify the current value in the metabase, you can use the following:

      Mdutil.exe get w3svc/MetabaseKey.

      For example, type the following:

      Mdutil.exe get w3svc/AuthChangeUrl
    5. To change the value, you can use the command just as you previously did. However, replace "get" with "set." Also, specify the value at the end.
    If you have to change either PasswordChangeFlags or PasswordExpirePreNotifyDays, you have to use the Adsutil.vbs script to configure these metabase entries. The Adsutil.vbs script is located in the Inetpub\Adminscripts directory on your system. To use the Adsutil.vbs script to configure these metabase entries, follow these steps:
    1. Open a CMD window.
    2. Locate the C:\Inetpub\Adminscripts folder.
    3. To set the values, you can use the following:

      Cscript.exe adsutil.vbs set w3svc/MetabaseKey

      For example, type the following:

      Cscript.exe adsutil.vbs set w3svc/PasswordChangeFlags 1
    4. To examine the values, you can use the same command as you previously used. However, replace "set" with "get." Do not appended the value at the end.

REFERENCES

For additional information, see the IIS 5.0 Help documentation.
For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

269082 IISADMPWD virtual directory is not created during clean install of IIS 5.0

For more information about the naming schema for Windows software updates, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

816915 New file naming schema for Microsoft Windows software update packages

For more information about the terminology that is used to describe Microsoft product updates, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

824684 Description of the standard terminology that is used to describe Microsoft software updates

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:2/13/2006
Keywords:kbHotfixServer kbQFE kbHotfixServer kbQFE kbQFE kbWin2000preSP5fix kbBug kbfix KB831047 kbAudDeveloper
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