1. Recover domain admin password with Command Prompt
    Steps on how to recover a domain password with Command Prompt

  2. Boot the Windows server 2012 with the installed CD/DVD.

  3. Select the Installed language, and then click “Next” to the next step.

  4. Click “Repair the computer” on the lower left corner of the screen

  5. Choose “Windows server 2012” as the local operation system, and then click “Next”.

  6. Click “Command Prompt” in the window of “System Recovery Options”

  7. Execute the following command in the command window

CD C:\Windows\System32

MOVE Utilman.exe Utilman.exe.bak

COPY Cmd.exe Utilman.exe

Then, execute this command as below:

NET USER administrator /active:yes

  1. Execute the “exit” command in the command window, and then click “restart” in the pop-up window

  2. Boot to the login screen, click the button on the lower left corner of the screen

  3. Execute the command in the pop-up window

net user administrator P@ssw0rd1! /domain

net user administrator /active:yes /domain

net localgroup administrators newadmin /add /domain

  1. Close the command line window, login with the new password

Note: “MOVE Utilman.exe Utilman.exe.bak” is a backup; you have to recover the “utilman.exe” in the step6.