Resets the password for a standalone managed service account.
Active Directory · Risk: Critical · Documentation Verified
Last verified: 2026-10-26
Microsoft ActiveDirectory reference: Resets the password for a standalone managed service account. The syntax and selected example below are adapted from the pinned Windows Server 2025 reference. Module availability, target configuration and delegated permissions determine whether it can run in your environment. Documentation and parameter text: Microsoft, CC BY 4.0; formatting adapted by Cmdlet World. No execution testing is claimed.
Use an account with the target resource permissions documented for Reset-ADServiceAccountPassword. Modifying administrative cmdlets may require elevation or delegated administration. This catalog does not assert that ordinary users can execute the command.
Supported environments
Windows / ActiveDirectory · Windows Server 2025 documentation; feature/module prerequisites apply
Parameters
-AuthType
Specifies the authentication method to use. The acceptable values for this parameter are: - Negotiate or 0 - Basic or 1 The default authentication method is Negotiate. A Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) connection is required for the Basic authentication method.
-Confirm
Prompts you for confirmation before running the cmdlet.
-Identity (required)
Specifies an Active Directory account object by providing one of the following property values. The identifier in parentheses is the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) display name for the attribute. The acceptable values for this parameter are: - A distinguished name - A GUID (objectGUID) - A security identifier (objectSid) - A SAM account name (sAMAccountName) The cmdlet searches the default naming context or partition to find the object. If two or more objects are found, the cmdlet returns a non-terminating error. This parameter can also get this object through the pipeline or you can set this parameter to an object instance.
-Partition
Specifies the distinguished name of an Active Directory partition. The distinguished name must be one of the naming contexts on the current directory server. The cmdlet searches this partition to find the object defined by the *Identity* parameter. In many cases, a default value is used for the *Partition* parameter if no value is specified. The rules for determining the default value are given below. Note that rules listed first are evaluated first and once a default value can be determined, no further rules are evaluated. In Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) environments, a default value for *Partition* is set in the following cases: - If the *Identity* parameter is set to a distinguished name, the default value of *Partition* is automatically generated from this distinguished name. - If running cmdlets from an Active Directory provider drive, the default value of *Partition* is automatically generated from the current path in the drive. - If none of the previous cases apply, the default value of *Partition* is set to the default partition or naming context of the target domain. In Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS) environments, a default value for *Partition* is set in the following cases: - If the *Identity* parameter is set to a distinguished name, the default value of *Partition* is automatically generated from this distinguished name. - If running cmdlets from an Active Directory provider drive, the default value of *Partition* is automatically generated from the current path in the drive. - If the target AD LDS instance has a default naming context, the default value of *Partition* is set to the default naming context. To specify a default naming context for an AD LDS environment, set the msDS-defaultNamingContext property of the Active Directory directory service agent object (nTDSDSA) for the AD LDS instance. - If none of the pr
-WhatIf
Shows what would happen if the cmdlet runs. The cmdlet is not run.
Prerequisites
Windows with the ActiveDirectory module and the Windows feature or management tools that provide it. Confirm target connectivity and version compatibility using the linked Microsoft reference.
Security considerations
This cmdlet changes system state. Review every target and parameter in the official reference, test outside production, and prepare an appropriate backup or rollback. Do not execute the example automatically.
Examples
Example 1: Reset the password for a standalone MSA
This command resets the password on the standalone managed service account ServiceAccount1. Source: Microsoft, CC BY 4.0; transcript prompt/output removed. This example was not executed.