How to Reset User Mailbox Password in Exchange Server 2010

Most organizations use Exchange servers for their internal and external communications. Exchange Administrators perform a major role in managing the Exchange services. Apart from the services, an administrator also takes care of MS Outlook mailbox management tasks, such as resetting Outlook users or Exchange passwords, and other related functions.

The Exchange Administrator should have valid login credentials of Active Directory (AD) or Exchange server to manage the mailbox management tasks, such as resetting Outlook password. An admin can reset MS Outlook users’ mailbox passwords by logging into the Windows or Exchange server.

However, if the administrator forgot or lost the Exchange or Windows server password, you can use Stellar Toolkit for Exchange to reset the server password and get back access to the server without dealing with manual methods as they require technical expertise and often fail.

Methods to Reset User Mailbox Password in MS Exchange 2010

Method 1: Reset Mailbox Password via Active Directory Users and Computers

The administrators can reset the mailbox password if they have access to Active Directory (AD) in the Windows server. AD stores all user account details, including password, in an Exchange server environment.

Follow these steps to reset a user mailbox password in Exchange 2010,

• Login to Exchange’s AD server

NOTE: If you don’t know or forgot the Windows Server password, use Stellar Toolkit for Exchange to reset the admin password. You can then login to Windows Server environment and reset the user mailbox password in Exchange 2010

• In Windows Server Manager, click Tools>Active Directory Users and Computers

• Browse for the user whose mailbox password needs to be reset
• Right-click on the username and select the Reset Password option

• Type-in the New password and type the same in Confirm password box

• Click Ok

IMPORTANT NOTE: Click the ‘User must change password at next logon’ checkbox to let the users change their password. You may also instruct the user to Sign in to the system and then reset the password.

Method 2: Reset Mailbox Password via Exchange Admin Center (EAC)

If you don’t have credentials to access Windows server and AD services, you can use MS Exchange Admin Center to reset users’ mailbox passwords. However, it requires you to do a few tweaks before you can change or reset the user password.

Follow these steps:

• Run following commands in the PowerShell window to tweak your Exchange Server and enable password reset option,
  a. Add-Pssnapin Setup
  b. Install-CannedRbacRoleAssignments –InvocationMode Install
  c. Install-CannedRbacRoles
  d. Install-CannedRbacRoleAssignmentsRAP
  e. Install-CannedAddressLists

• Then restart and login to Exchange Admin Center (EAC)
• Go to Permissions>Organization Management and click Edit
• Click the ‘+’ option under the Roles section
• Choose ‘Reset Password’ and click the add-> button
• Click ‘Save’
• Once the changes are saved, sign out from the EAC and sign in again
• Select the user mailbox whose password needs to be reset and click Edit
• Look for the Reset Password option to change the password of the user mailbox

As an Exchange administrator, you may be well aware of these methods to reset the user mailbox password in an Exchange server environment.

However, these methods work only if you can access the Exchange or Windows server and mailboxes with valid credentials. In case, a mailbox is unavailable or inaccessible due to Exchange Database (EDB) corruption or dirty shutdown, it could be difficult to reset the mailbox password.

In such situations, use Stellar Toolkit for Exchange to reset/recover the Exchange password. With the toolkit, you can also reset the password of the Windows server with Domain Controller roles, repair a corrupt Exchange database, and extract mailboxes.

Steps for Server Password Recovery with Stellar Toolkit for Exchange

Ensure the following for the server password reset process:
Requirements for Server Password Reset

• A working computer to download a bootable image of this application
• A blank USB pen drive (512MB or above) or CD/DVD
• Rufus tool to burn the bootable image to the USB drive or CD/DVD
• Download the PDF file and take the print-out of the process containing steps to Reset password for Exchange Server

Prepare a Bootable USB drive

• Download, install and run Stellar Toolkit for Exchange software

• Download bootable ISO Image from the download link in the software
• Run Rufus app, select the USB drive under ‘Device’ and then click ‘Select’ to choose the downloaded ISO image

• Enter Volume label and click ‘Start’

Prepare a Bootable CD

You may also burn the ISO to a blank CD or DVD,

• Insert a blank CD in the system’s CD-RW or DVD-RW drive
• Right-click on ISO file and select Open With option and click on CD burning software from the list
• Click on CD-RW or DVD-RW Recorder and select the Writing Speed
• Click on CD Burning button of the software

Steps to Boot from Bootable USB or CD drive

You can make the changes in BIOS and UEFI  to boot your server using the bootable USB media or CD/DVD. If the server has RAID array and not listed in Select Server list, then follow the steps to install RAID Card Driver:

You may also follow these steps to choose USB media as a boot drive,

• Turn off your PC
• Power ON the PC and start pressing the boot options key, usually F12
• Choose the bootable USB drive or CD/DVD from the options and press ‘Enter’

Steps to Reset Server Passwords

1. After system boots from a boot USB or CD/DVD,  the software User Interface is displayed on the screen
2. Select the version of Operating system (OS), install the RAID Array drivers and go to Select Server list to select the server
3. Click on Reboot button
4. Perform the steps as these are available in the dialog box and note the path of the exe file. Run the file after server reboots
5. Remove all bootable media including the CD and press the Function Key F8 to go to Advanced Boot Options screen
6. Next, check the Windows server version and click on Switch User and Enter Login Details if it is Windows Server 2008/2012
7. Locate the exe file and double click on the file. Copy this exe to the root of the selected OS- Drive and Run the file
8. The screen asks for New Password. Enter the new password. (This password should adhere to the Security Policy of the Windows server.)
9. Re-type the password to confirm and click on Reboot
10. When a new dialog box appears, click on the OK button, and the system reboots
11. Login to Active Directory with the newly set password and reset User mailbox password in Exchange 2010

Save the newly set password at a safe location, and avoid repeating the whole process.

Conclusion

Though Exchange Administrators always remember the server-password, users may lost password even if it belongs to a crucial Exchange server. There are little or no chances to reset the user mailbox password in Exchange 2010 if the administrator loses the server password.

In such cases, you can use a Windows or Exchange server password-reset software such as Stellar Toolkit for Exchange.

It is a unique application, which allows users to reset a password for the server and gain access to the server. Along with reset password function, the Toolkit also performs numerous other functions, such as Exchange Mailbox Recovery, OST to PST Conversion and extracts mailbox for Exchange backup, etc.

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About The Author

Eric Simson

Eric Simson is an Email Platform Consultant and is associated with Stellar Data Recovery from last 6 years. He writes about the latest technology tips and provides custom solutions related to MS Outlook, MS Exchange Server, Office 365, and many other Email Clients & Servers.