# Can't change password?  I'm an administrator!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-change-password-im-an-administrator/245222>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 15, 2004, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-change-password-im-an-administrator/245222 "2004-05-15T03:18:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![capnfutile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e0b2c6/32.png) [@capnfutile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capnfutile)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2004, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-change-password-im-an-administrator/245222/1 "2004-05-15T03:18:40Z")

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Just tried to change the password on my windows XP Pro system, and despite the fact that my username is in the “administrator” group, I get the “don’t have permission” error when I try to change my password.

What’s up with that?

capn

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**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2004, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-change-password-im-an-administrator/245222/2 "2004-05-15T05:26:32Z")

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Try this:

1. Go to Start/Run, Type “secpol.msc” without the quotes and press enter.
2. You should see a window open called “Local Security Setting”
3. Click on Security Settings/ Account Policies/ Password Policy/ Minimum password age
4. Go to the Properties of Minimum password age.
5. Set it to 0 days
6. Click Apply/Ok, then close.

See if this fixes it. Else, it’s most likely one of the settings in here somewhere that needs to be changed.

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**Author:** ![Armilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e19b73/32.png) [@Armilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Armilla)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2004, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cant-change-password-im-an-administrator/245222/3 "2004-05-15T10:09:56Z")

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Try going to Start / Programs / Administrative Tools / Computer Management from the Start menu.

Fun your user under the “Local Users and Groups / Users” page and bring up its properties. Check that “User cannot change password” is not checked.

As far as I know this setting overrides all other security rights.