Troubleshooting PsPasswd Errors: Common Issues and Fixes

How to Use PsPasswd to Change Remote User Passwords Quickly

PsPasswd is a lightweight Sysinternals utility that lets you change local account passwords on remote Windows machines from the command line. This guide shows a fast, repeatable workflow for securely updating remote user passwords with PsPasswd, including common options, examples, and troubleshooting.

Prerequisites

• Administrator credentials for the target remote machine(s).
• PsPasswd downloaded from Microsoft Sysinternals and placed in a folder on your system (or added to PATH).
• Windows Firewall and network settings that allow remote RPC calls (File and Printer Sharing / Remote Service management).
• Target machine(s) must have the Server service and Remote Registry enabled.

Basic command syntax

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pspasswd \computername username newpassword 

• Replace \computername with the remote machine name or IP.
• username is the local account name on the remote machine.
• newpassword is the new password to set.

Common Options

• \computer — specify remote host(s). You can run the command multiple times for multiple hosts.
• -u domain\user — run PsPasswd using alternate credentials (domain or local). Use this when your current account lacks rights.
• -p password — password for the account specified with -u.
• -accepteula — automatically accept the Sysinternals EULA (useful in scripts).

Example with alternate credentials:

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pspasswd \192.168.1.10 Administrator NewP@ssw0rd! -u CORP\Admin -p S3cr3t -accepteula 

Batch changes for multiple hosts

Create a text file hosts.txt listing one host per line. Use a simple loop in PowerShell or CMD.

PowerShell example:

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\(hosts</span><span> = </span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(57, 58, 52);">Get-Content</span><span> </span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(57, 58, 52);">.</span><span>\hosts</span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(57, 58, 52);">.</span><span>txt </span><span></span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">foreach</span><span> </span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(57, 58, 52);">(</span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(54, 172, 170);">\)h in \(hosts</span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(57, 58, 52);">)</span><span> </span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(57, 58, 52);">{</span><span> </span><span>& </span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(57, 58, 52);">.</span><span>\pspasswd</span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(57, 58, 52);">.</span><span>exe </span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(163, 21, 21);">"\\</span><span class="token" style="color: rgb(54, 172, 170);">\)h“ “UserName” “NewP@ssw0rd!” -u “CORP\Admin” -p “S3cr3t” -accepteula }

CMD example:

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for /f %i in (hosts.txt) do pspasswd \%i UserName NewP@ssw0rd! -u CORP\Admin -p S3cr3t -accepteula 

Security recommendations

• Avoid plain-text passwords in scripts when possible. Use secure credential handling in PowerShell (ConvertFrom-SecureString / Get-Credential) and supply interactively if feasible.
• Use a temporary strong password and force the user to change at next logon.
• Restrict access to the PsPasswd binary and any scripts containing credentials.
• Run over secure management networks or VPNs; the tool uses SMB/RPC, so network security matters.

Troubleshooting

• Access denied: confirm administrative rights on the remote machine, Remote Registry and Server services are running, and firewall rules allow management traffic.
• Network path not found: verify name resolution or use the IP address and ensure the machine is reachable (ping, Test-NetConnection).
• PsPasswd not found: ensure the executable is in the current directory or in PATH, or provide the full path.

Example workflow (quick steps)

1. Download pspasswd.exe and place it in C:\Tools.
2. Verify remote access: Test-NetConnection -ComputerName target -Port 445
3. Run:

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   C:\Tools\pspasswd.exe \target User1 NewP@ssw0rd! -u CORP\Admin -p AdminPass -accepteula 

4. Confirm by attempting to log in or using a remote session.

If you want, I can generate a PowerShell script that prompts for secure credentials and updates passwords on a list of machines without storing plaintext passwords.