# Password expiry notification in Windows **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 28, 2013, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-expiry-notification-in-windows/659543 "2013-05-28T14:53:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2013, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-expiry-notification-in-windows/659543/1 "2013-05-28T14:53:06Z")
My work computer is running Windows 7 Professional. My password expired unexpectedly over the weekend – which is a pain, since I’m telecommuting today and I start work over an hour earlier than my coworker. I did not notice any warning that my password was about to expire. Last time there was a password change, I noticed a pop-up warning me; but I thought I had a week to change it. That’s how it was before. Is there a setting I can change, so that I can get 7 days notice of an impending password expiration? Or is this something our Systems guy has to do? ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2013, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-expiry-notification-in-windows/659543/2 "2013-05-28T15:23:37Z")
You’d have to ask your system guy. But one thing you could do if you can figure out the schedule is set up a recurring reminder in Outlook calendar or another sort of reminder app. ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Mike\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_H)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2013, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-expiry-notification-in-windows/659543/3 "2013-05-28T15:27:43Z")
Likely your sysadmin will need to do it. You can try and change the notification period by following the instructions [here](http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee829687%28v=ws.10%29.aspx). You can always find when your password will expire by going to a command line and entering > [@](#): > > net user johnny\* /domain \*or whatever your user name happens to be. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2013, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-expiry-notification-in-windows/659543/4 "2013-05-28T15:42:02Z")
Thanks. I’ve sent an email to our Systems guy. I did call my coworker earlier, and she changed my PW for me; so it will be a couple of months before I need to do it again. ---
**Author:** ![Blakeyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blakeyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blakeyrat)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2013, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-expiry-notification-in-windows/659543/5 "2013-05-28T17:50:05Z")
What are you using to commute remotely that can’t set your password? Outlook Web Access can (if your admin set it up correctly), as can Microsoft Remote Desktop. In some companies I’ve worked at, the VPN login webpage can as well. Ask your IT guys; I’m sure there’s a way to reset your password while working from home. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2013, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-expiry-notification-in-windows/659543/6 "2013-05-28T17:56:22Z")
> [@Blakeyrat](#): > > What are you using to commute remotely that can’t set your password? Remote Desktop Connection. If the password is expired, it can’t connect to my computer so I can reset the password. Also, I am unable to restart the computer when I’m connected to it. The only options are Disconnect and Log off. ---
**Author:** ![AHarris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bcef8e/32.png) [@AHarris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHarris)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2013, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-expiry-notification-in-windows/659543/7 "2013-05-28T18:26:04Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Remote Desktop Connection. If the password is expired, it can’t connect to my computer so I can reset the password. Also, I am unable to restart the computer when I’m connected to it. The only options are Disconnect and Log off. Please change your password to one that your co-worker doesn’t know (you may need to wait until tomorrow depending on how things are setup at your company). Now that you are connected, if you press CTRL+ALT+END, it should bring up the options screen. One of the options will be to change you password. Worst case, you should only need to logoff in order to apply the change. How often you need to/can change the password and the complexity requirements are probably controlled by your IT department. ---
**Author:** ![Blakeyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blakeyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blakeyrat)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2013, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-expiry-notification-in-windows/659543/8 "2013-05-28T19:35:56Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Remote Desktop Connection. If the password is expired, it can’t connect to my computer so I can reset the password. Also, I am unable to restart the computer when I’m connected to it. The only options are Disconnect and Log off. Your IT department might have screwed things up. At my company, using RDC with an expired password lets me login directly to the change password screen; once I’ve changed it there, I’m golden. ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2013, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/password-expiry-notification-in-windows/659543/10 "2013-05-29T15:34:03Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Remote Desktop Connection. If the password is expired, it can’t connect to my computer so I can reset the password. Also, I am unable to restart the computer when I’m connected to it. The only options are Disconnect and Log off. I’ve extended password expiry on our domain, so I don’t recall how it works with RDP (thought it prompted for reset though). 😕 but just FYI, you _can_ reboot your PC though - run ```auto shutdown /r ```