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This issue occurs because the machine account password changes automatically every 30 days when a computer is joined to a Windows domain. When the computer's snapshot is reverted to a point in the past, the password in the virtual machine does not match the version on the domain. When the passwords do not match the domain cannot authenticate the machine's system account credentials nor any user logins from that machine.

To ensure domain logins are successful:

  1. Remove the virtual machine from the Windows domain.

  2. Restart the virtual machine.

  3. Join the virtual machine back to the Windows domain.

  4. Restart the virtual machine.

Note: To prevent this issue from happening, disable machine account password updates. For more information, see How to disable automatic machine account password changes.

You can find the full KB article here.

Posted by Gabriel Maciel

Tags: microsoft, vi, vi3, vi4, virtual, virtualization, vmware, center


Add a comment Leave a comment on this blog post.
Jun 4, 2009 7:59 AM Reply Peg

This describes my issue exactly but I can't figure out how to "remove the virtual machine from the Windows domain" and then "join".
Does this mean I need to delete the VM from my library and then add it again?
Or, do I try to remember what my password was 4 months ago so I can login to the computer (but not the domain)?
Found no results in my searches for further explanation. Please help and thanks much!

Jun 4, 2009 4:39 PM Reply Gabriel Maciel Ottawa in response to: Peg

Hi Peg,

What the KB article means is that you need to log into the Windows VM that is having the machine account problem (use the machine local Admin account), dis-join the machine from the AD Domain (put it into any workgroup), reboot, and join the machine back to the AD Domain.

Gabriel

PS This KB article is only good for solving the automatic machine account password change when you reverted a snapshot to a point in the past for a Windows VM that is part of an AD Domain

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Gabriel Maciel Ottawa

 Member since: Mar 11, 2008

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