# Resetting an AWS Managed Microsoft AD user password
<a name="ms_ad_manage_users_groups_reset_password"></a>

Users must adhere to password policies as defined in the Active Directory. Sometimes this can get the best of users, including the Active Directory administrator, and they forget their password. When this happens, you can quickly reset the user's password using Directory Service if the user resides AWS Managed Microsoft AD.

You must be signed in as a user with the necessary permissions to reset passwords. For more information about permissions, see [Overview of managing access permissions to your Directory Service resources](IAM_Auth_Access_Overview.md).

You can reset the password for any user in your Active Directory with the following exceptions:
+ You can reset the password for any user within the Organizational Unit (OU) that is based off of the NetBIOS name you used when you created your Active Directory. For example, if you followed the procedure in [Creating your AWS Managed Microsoft AD](ms_ad_getting_started.md#ms_ad_getting_started_create_directory) your NetBIOS name would be CORP and the users passwords you could reset would be members of Corp/Users OU.
+ You cannot reset the password of any user outside of the OU that is based off the NetBIOS name you used when you created your Active Directory. For example, you cannot reset the password for a user in **AWS Reserved OU**. For more information about the OU structure for AWS Managed Microsoft AD, see [What gets created with your AWS Managed Microsoft AD](ms_ad_getting_started_what_gets_created.md). 

For more information on how the password policies are applied when a password is reset in AWS Managed Microsoft AD, see [How password policies are applied](ms_ad_password_policies.md#how_password_policies_applied).

**You can use any of the following tools to reset an AWS Managed Microsoft AD user password:**
+ AWS Management Console
+ AWS CLI
+ PowerShell

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#### [ AWS Management Console ]

Use the following procedure to reset an AWS Managed Microsoft AD user password with the AWS Management Console.

1. In the [Directory Service console](https://console.aws.amazon.com/directoryservicev2/) navigation pane, under **Active Directory**, choose **Directories**, and then select the Active Directory in the list where you want to reset a user password.

1. On the **Directory details** page, choose **Actions**, and then choose **Reset user password**.

1. In the **Reset user password** dialog, in **Username** type the username of the user whose password needs to change.

1. Type a password in **New password** and **Confirm password**, and then choose **Reset password**.

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#### [ AWS CLI ]

Use the following procedure to reset an AWS Managed Microsoft AD user password with the AWS CLI.

1. To install the AWS CLI, see [Install or update the latest version of the AWS CLI](https://docs.aws.amazon.com//cli/latest/userguide/getting-started-install.html).

1. Open the AWS CLI.

1. Type the following command and replace the Directory ID, username **jane.doe**, and password **P@ssw0rd** with your Active Directory Directory ID and desired credentials. See [reset-user-password](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/latest/reference/ds/reset-user-password.html) in the *AWS CLI Command Reference* for more information.

```
aws ds reset-user-password --directory-id d-1234567890 --user-name "jane.doe" --new-password "P@ssw0rd"
```

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#### [ PowerShell ]

Use the following procedure to reset an AWS Managed Microsoft AD user password with the PowerShell.

1. Connect to the instance joined to your Active Directory domain as the Active Directory administrator.

1. Open PowerShell.

1. Type the following command replacing the username **jane.doe**, the Directory ID, and password **P@ssw0rd** with your Active Directory Directory ID and desired credentials. See [Reset-DSUserPassword Cmdlet](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/powershell/latest/reference/items/Reset-DSUserPassword.html) for more information.

```
Reset-DSUserPassword -UserName "jane.doe" -DirectoryId d-1234567890 -NewPassword "P@ssw0rd"
```

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