"Error setting password for user account '<UserName>' " error message when users try to change their password in Windows SharePoint Services (889644)

SYMPTOMS

You configure Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services to run in Active Directory account creation mode. When users try to change their password, users receive the following error message:

Error setting password for user account "UserName". The password must
be at least 7 characters, must contain capitals, numerals, or punctuation;
and cannot contain the account or full name. Enter a password that meets
these requirements in both text boxes.

Only users who have administrator credentials on the server can successfully change their password. Users who do not have administrator credentials on the server receive this error message and cannot change their password.

CAUSE

This issue occurs if the Minimum password age policy setting on the domain controller is set to a number of days other than 0 (zero) days. By default, the Minimum password age policy setting on a Microsoft Windows Server 2003-based domain controller is set to 1.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, set the Minimum password age policy setting on the domain controller to 0 (zero) days. To do this, follow these steps:

On the domain controller, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Domain Security Policy.
Expand Account Policies, and then click Password Policy.
In the right pane, right-click Minimum password age, and then click Properties.
Type 0 in the Password can be changed after box.

Note After you set the number of days in the Password can be changed after to 0 (zero), the name of the box changes to Password can be changed immediately.
Click OK.

Note If the user still cannot change their password after you change the Minimum password age policy setting on the domain controller, delete the contents of the Temporary Internet Files folder on the client computer.

For additional information about how to do this a computer that is running Microsoft Internet Explorer, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

260897 How to delete the contents of the Temporary Internet Files folder

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information about how apply password policy in Windows Server 2003, click Start, click Help and Support, and then click Index. Type password policy settings in the Type in the keyword to find box, and then double-click the entry that you want to view.

For additional information about how to deploy Windows SharePoint Services in Active Directory account creation mode, see the following topics in the Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 2.0 Administrator's Guide:

The "Separate Active Directory Directory Service Organization Unit Deployment" topic in the "Deployment Scenarios" section
The "Installation Considerations for Windows SharePoint Services" section in the "Installation" section

To obtain the Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 2.0 Administrator's Guide, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=a637eff6-8224-4b19-a6a4-3e33fa13d230&displaylang=en