change sharepoint 2010 farm account/sql server account password

Question

We have a sharepoint 2010 front end server and backend sql server.

Under Central Administration->Managed Accounts, we have only one account listed. It is everything. It has every role.

We need to reset this account's password. It also is the account being used for SQL and the service accounts on the front end.

The question is, do I just need to change the password under "Managed Accounts" and will it break other things. Will i have to reset it in AD or on the service accounts on the sql backend?

Josh

Answer 1

The managed accounts page allows you to change the password in AD. So that part is taken care of. For the others, it depends on where else this account is being used. You may need to go into SQL and update it, and there may also be services that the account runs under that may need to be changed if they break after changing the managed account. I would check services in the Windows Server services MMC as well as the Application Pool identity settings, etc.. if you have issues after changing it. You can also take a look at the following article to get more info:

• Change passwords used for administration accounts (SharePoint ...

Answer 2

Hi Josh,

As James stated you should change your password under "Managed Accounts". SharePoint will force AD change and take care of application pool, SQL backend, and timer service. That means there should not be outage for the farm but I would do it on prod out of working hours anyway.

I know at least one exception: if you have set up User Profile import using that account it wont update password there. You have to do that manually.

Hope it helps.

---

Vladimir
MCP, MCTS, SharePoint tips blog: http://buyevich.blogspot.com

Answer 3

Ok, well, I got an "access is denied" when I tried to do it through the "manage accounts" section. I'm logged in as a farm admin (not the god account we're trying to change)  in shpnt and domain admin in the domain.  I've added domain admin as db owner on all the shpnt databases.

We need to change the password since the password was forgotten by the admin.

Josh

Answer 4

FYI, The issue with the access denied has been resolved. In AD, the account had "user cannot change password"

Thanks for the guidance!

Josh