Simple password reset app for staff

[localzuk]

Just finally got sick of fielding requests for password resets for pupils. So I have rustled up a dinky little app which will allow staff to do it for pupils, without giving them any complex ADUC or permissions they don't need.

 

I've only tested it in Windows 2003 and Windows XP SP3.

 

If anyone finds issues, please say so, and I'll update as I go.

 

I won't be adding any extra 'features' as such (ie. locking or anything like that) as I don't want this to be anything more than a reset app.

 

Instructions are in the README.

[localzuk]

This any use to anyone?

[featured_spectre]

Mind if I add it into my app???

[localzuk]

You can, yes.

[featured_spectre]

Thanks...what program did you use to make it BTW???

[localzuk]

Its programmed in c# using visual studio 2010.

[TheScarfedOne]

Like the concept, and the app looks good, but I do have to give a +1 to WiseSoft Password Control here - which has been rolled out across the site for all staff to use.

[localzuk]

Like the concept, and the app looks good, but I do have to give a +1 to WiseSoft Password Control here - which has been rolled out across the site for all staff to use.

 

Looks too complicated and allows too much freedom compared to what I want - ie. I want staff to only be able to select users from a list, and click reset with a preset value. I don't want them choosing passwords, or having to type things in.

[TheScarfedOne]

Good point... we tend to get the students to start typing their own username in and then hit search. I do like being able to use a drop down tho.

[lmgtfy]

Hi localzuk,

 

Looks like a wonderful little app could be really useful for our school. Been trying to get it to work however but with no success so far, I can get a list of students to reset the password for but when I click "Reset" it comes up with an error saying "Error: An invalid dn syntax has been specified." I have checked my settings in the config file but can't see where I may be going wrong, please see below:

 

Domain Admins (Just to test the app out)

schooldomainname

OU=Students,OU=Managed Users,DC=school,DC=devon,DC=sch,DC=uk

curriculum

college

 

Any advice would be amazing, probably missing something obvious.

 

Cheers

Chris

[localzuk]

Are you sure that that is the DN for the top level OU?

 

Also, could you try using the IP address of the server rather than the DNS name?

[lmgtfy]

Thanks for the reply, I have tried putting in the ip address in instead of the DNS name for the field ADServer, which bit are you referring to in "Are you sure that that is the DN for the top level OU?"

 

Thanks again

[localzuk]

This bit - OU=Students,OU=Managed Users,DC=school,DC=devon,DC=sch,DC=uk

 

In your directory structure, are your pupil OUs in an OU called Students in an OU called Managed Users?

[lmgtfy]

Yes they are, this is definitely the right LDAP path and it does bring up all the students in all the years just the reset password bit fails with the error "Error: An invalid dn syntax has been specified."

[maniac]

I posted this over 3 years ago which does the same thing (If you use the 'standard' year of entry prefixes and you're in a secondary school it finds your users without any configuration)

 

http://www.edugeek.net/forums/windows/23952-easy-password-reset-software.html

[localzuk]

Ok, please try the following version.

[localzuk]

I posted this over 3 years ago which does the same thing (If you use the 'standard' year of entry prefixes and you're in a secondary school it finds your users without any configuration)

 

http://www.edugeek.net/forums/windows/23952-easy-password-reset-software.html

 

Thanks, it didn't really fit my needs (ie. needed it to be more 'straight to the point'.)

[lmgtfy]

Hi Maniac, sounds good but unfortunately we don't and probably never will use entry prefixes in front of student usernames can your program be modified to work with OU groups?

[maniac]

Hi Maniac, sounds good but unfortunately we don't and probably never will use entry prefixes in front of student usernames can your program be modified to work with OU groups?

 

It does. If you run the .EXE with /S at the end you'll get the settings screen which you can use to program it to work in whatever way you like, by OU is one of the options. The only slight flaw with my program is it reads the settings file from the user profile rather than the same directory as the program is run from.

[mac_shinobi]

password control may not be as simplistic but it works off the bat

[localzuk]

Slightly updated version. Fixes the 'user must change password at next login' issue, unlocks the account and now allows you to type the username in the box directly. Edited September 12, 2011 by localzuk

[Diello]

Looks excellent! Alas can't get it to work on Windows 7 x64 with Server 2008 R2 AD

[localzuk]

Looks excellent! Alas can't get it to work on Windows 7 x64 with Server 2008 R2 AD

 

What error do you get? I've currently only tested it on a 2k3 domain with XP clients myself, but it is standard .Net 4 (Client Framework), so should work across the board.

[MK-2]

what is the preferable way for people to select which OU the program will search?

I have a password reset tool as well, but at the moment our student OU is hard coded. I could get it to read the latter part of the FQDN (DC=site,dc=internal) but how would you want it to select OUs?

I could also have it show you the whole AD structure and you click the relevant OU and it shows that, but then the chance for teachers to mess is a bit more there.

 

I was thinking perhaps first run it shows the OU browser, you select the student OU as an admin, it saves that to a setting and second run it doesn't ask so its good to go to teachers? how do others do it?

[localzuk]

what is the preferable way for people to select which OU the program will search?

I have a password reset tool as well, but at the moment our student OU is hard coded. I could get it to read the latter part of the FQDN (DC=site,dc=internal) but how would you want it to select OUs?

I could also have it show you the whole AD structure and you click the relevant OU and it shows that, but then the chance for teachers to mess is a bit more there.

 

I was thinking perhaps first run it shows the OU browser, you select the student OU as an admin, it saves that to a setting and second run it doesn't ask so its good to go to teachers? how do others do it?

 

The way I do it is described in the readme in the download - the network admin enters the LDAP path into the config file to the topmost OU which contains the user OUs below it.