XIA Automation Tutorial

Active Directory User Password Reset

This tutorial describes how to use XIA Automation to reset user account passwords in Active Directory.

Download Free 30-Day Trial

Learn about the password reset feature.

Tutorial Outcomes

Learn how to use XIA Automation to:

Reset user passwords in Microsoft Active Directory on-premises
Delegate resetting user passwords to non-administrators
Ensure reset passwords meet your organization's policy

1. Create the Automation Profile

Create a new automation profile in the XIA Automation Administration Tools. Set the permissions as required, for example, to delegate this task to non-administrators.

Create a new automation profile

2. Configure the Username Selection

Either allow the end user to enter the username manually by creating a standard String Variable, or allow the end user to select the username from a list of search results by creating a dynamic Active Directory Search Variable:

Screenshot of the Active Directory Search Variable Definition in the New Variable Definition right click context menu

Use the Search settings to, for example, specify which Organizational Unit to list usernames from:

Screenshot of search settings in an Active Directory Search Variable Definition — Show only enabled user accounts in the Staff OU

The user for which the password will be reset can then be selected by the end user from a drop down when the profile is executed via the form input in the XIA Automation Server web interface:

Screenshot of the username drop down in the XIA Automation Server web interface

3. Configure the Password Variable

Create a new String Variable:

Screenshot of the String Variable in the New Variable Definition right click context menu

Configure the Input Mode to Password to mask the text entered by the end user:

Screenshot of input settings in a String Variable Definition — Mask the text from the end user as it is entered

Configure the Validation Type to Password to ensure the password meets the specified complexity. Alternatively, change the Validation Type to Custom to specify the validation required to meet your organization's password policy.

Screenshot of validation settings in a String Variable Definition — Validate the password entered by the end user

You may also wish to explain the constraints of the password validation in the variable description.

4. Configure the Password Reset Task

Create a new Active Directory Account Password Reset Task:

Screenshot of the Active Directory Account Password Reset Task in the New Automation Task right click context menu

Configure the task settings as required. Assign the Password Variable to allow the end user to enter a password when they execute the automation profile. Alternatively, enter the hard coded password to be set for the user.

Screenshot of the Active Directory Account Password Reset Task in XIA Automation — Specify a password variable to allow the user to enter a password

If your domain has multiple DCs, you can add an Active Directory Replication Task after your password reset task.

Press Save Configuration before executing the automation profile.

5. Reset an Active Directory User Password

Execute the Automation Profile to reset an Active Directory user password, either manually via the form input in the XIA Automation Server web interface, or in bulk via CSV, or automatically via file import.

Reset passwords from anywhere using the form input in the XIA Automation Server web interface

Supported Platforms

The password reset task is supported on the following domain versions:

Windows Server 2022
Windows Server 2019
Windows Server 2016
Windows Server 2012 R2

For more information about the Active Directory account password reset task, view the administrator's guide.

Try XIA Automation for free

No commitments. No costs. Try XIA Automation today.

Download Free 30-Day Trial

Back to all tutorials