Topic Last Modified: 2009-10-05
As the e-mail administrator for a school, you probably receive lots of requests from users to help them retrieve a forgotten password. Unfortunately, you can't retrieve a forgotten password, but you can reset the password to a new value for the user.
Reset a password?
Resetting a password isn't the same as changing a password. If a user can remember their old password, they can change it themselves, but if the original password is lost, an administrator has to reset the password to a new value. After you reset the password, it's a good idea to advise the user to change the password to something that only they know and will remember. Users can change their own password at http://login.live.com. Make sure to remind them to follow the Password Guidelines for Outlook Live.
How do you reset a password for a user? The Web management interface in Outlook Live is the preferred method. For more information, see Reset a User's Password.
Here we explain how to use Windows PowerShell to reset a password and force the user to update their password the next time they sign in to their Outlook Live account.
Before you begin
To learn how to install and configure Windows PowerShell and connect to Outlook Live, see Use Windows PowerShell.
Reset the password and force the user to update their password the next time they sign in
Run the following command after you have connected to the Outlook Live server-side session:
Set-Mailbox <Windows Live ID> -Password (ConvertTo-SecureString -String '<password>' -AsPlainText -Force) -ResetPasswordOnNextLogon
For example, to reset the password of the user "tamarajohnston@contoso.edu" to Pa$$word1 and to force Tamara to change her password after she signs in, run the following command:
Troubleshooting
You may encounter the following issues when you try to reset a user's password:
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You don't have the rights to reset a user's password. Regional or locale restrictions may prevent Microsoft from giving you this ability. If that's the case, have the user fill out an e-mail support request. Here's how: Sign In Failed.
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The password you created doesn't meet the Windows Live account requirements. Make sure that you follow the Password Guidelines for Outlook Live.
