To reset a computer account using the Windows interface

1. To open Active Directory Users and Computers, click Start, click Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Active Directory Users and Computers.

2. In the console tree, click Computers.

   Where?

   • Active Directory Users and Computers\domain node\Computers
     
     

   Or, click the folder that contains the computer that you want to reset.

3. In the details pane, right-click the computer, and then click Reset Account.

• To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Account Operators group, Domain Admins group, or Enterprise Admins group in Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS), or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure.
  
  
• Another way to open Active Directory Users and Computers is to click Start, click Run, and then type dsa.msc.
  
  
• You can also perform the task in this procedure by using the Active Directory module for Windows PowerShell. To open the Active Directory module, click Start, click Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Module for Windows PowerShell. For more information, see Reset a Computer Account (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=138388). For more information about Windows PowerShell, see Windows PowerShell (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=102372).
  
  

• Managing Computers
  
  

To reset a computer account using a command line

1. To open a command prompt, click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.

2. Type the following command, and then press ENTER:

   dsmod computer <ComputerDN> -reset
   

To view the complete syntax for this command, and for information about entering user account information, at a command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:

dsmod computer /? 

• To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Account Operators group, Domain Admins group, or Enterprise Admins group in AD DS, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure.
  
  
• You can also perform the task in this procedure by using the Active Directory module for Windows PowerShell. To open the Active Directory module, click Start, click Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Module for Windows PowerShell. For more information, see Reset a Computer Account (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=138388). For more information about Windows PowerShell, see Windows PowerShell (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=102372).
  
  

• Managing Computers