I've been dealing with a frustrating issue where my Active Directory account keeps getting locked out. Recently, I attempted to change my password, and while I've never had problems in the past, now I'm facing constant account lockouts — at least every couple of hours. My workplace has a 90-day password policy, and when I initially changed my password, a colleague suggested I revert to my old password, which I did. Despite that, I'm still locked out regularly. We're using ManageEngine AD Audit Plus to track the problem, but I'm at a loss about what to do next. I've even rebooted the servers and stayed logged out for the day but nothing seems to work. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
3 Answers
This seems to be a common issue that pops up frequently. A quick search online can give you lots of guidance on where to start looking. Typically, if you check the event log on the Domain Controller, you can see what machine is causing the account to lock. It's usually related to scheduled tasks, services using your credentials, or saved entries in the Credential Manager linked to network shares or RDP. Clearing these should prevent the lockouts from happening.
You’re right! It's often related to services or apps using old credentials. We're also cleaning up our Credential Manager, and it’s been helping to reduce the lockouts.
You might want to try using the AD Lockout Tool. It's a handy resource to help pinpoint the issue. You can find it on Microsoft's website here: [AD Lockout Tool](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=18465).
I had no idea this tool existed! Thanks for sharing, I will definitely give it a look.
It sounds like there might still be some old credentials being used on another device or application. Have you checked the Security Event log on all your Domain Controllers? It can reveal exactly what is causing the lockouts and where it's coming from.
Thanks for the tip! I’m going to check that out now. I just switched back to my old password yesterday when this issue started.
Don’t forget about offline files! They can hide in c:windows for all users and contain saved credentials that might cause issues.