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Please Note: This workaround relates to Windows XP
Professional Only. You do not need to use it with Windows XP Home. The XP Home
password will not expire.
Password protecting Windows XP is an
integral part of security. However, when you create a password in XP it does, by
default, have a limited shelf life - 42 days to be precise. Before the 42 days
has expired you will usually receive a reminder that your password is about to
expire. This is fine, so long as you do something about it at the time. If you
don't, and your password finally expires, you are, unless you have created a
password reset disk, (see
How do I
create a Password Reset) left with a
machine you cannot log in to.
Of course you can easily stop the password
expiring altogether simply by following the instructions below.
1/ Click the Start button
2/ On the Start Menu click Control
Panel
3/ When the Control Panel Window
opens Click the Administrative Tools Icon
4/ In Administrative tools window
click Local Security Settings
5/ The Local Security settings window
will now open
6/ In the Left hand pane of
the window click on the plus sign next to Account Policies to
expand the menu
7/ Click Password Policy
8/ If you look in the Right hand
pane you will see a list of options.
9/ Right click on the
Maximum Password Age option
10/ From the drop down menu select
Properties
11/ The maximum password age
properties window will open.
12/ By default it is set to 42 days
13/ Change this figure to 0 (zero)
14/ Click Apply
15/ Next click OK to close the
window
16/ Your password will now never
expire
17/ Finally Close the Local
Security Settings window and any other windows that are open.
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