When managing legacy Windows XP machines in a Server 2003 environment, credential rotation for local administrator accounts presents unique technical hurdles. The standard Group Policy Preferences (GPP) method available in later Windows versions isn't natively supported in this configuration.

Here are three viable approaches ranked by implementation complexity:

Method 1: Startup Script Deployment

The most compatible solution involves using a VBScript executed via Group Policy:

Set objNetwork = CreateObject("WScript.Network")
strComputer = objNetwork.ComputerName

Set objUser = GetObject("WinNT://" & strComputer & "/Administrator,user")
objUser.SetPassword "N3wSecureP@ssw0rd"
objUser.SetInfo

Method 2: Custom ADM Template

For environments with strict security policies, create a custom ADM template:

CLASS MACHINE
CATEGORY "Local Admin Credentials"
    POLICY "Set Local Administrator Password"
        KEYNAME "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon"
        PART "Password" EDITTEXT
            VALUENAME "DefaultPassword"
            DEFAULT "N3wSecureP@ssw0rd"
        END PART
    END POLICY
END CATEGORY

Method 3: Restricted Groups Policy

While not setting the password directly, this controls membership:

[Version]
signature="$CHICAGO$"
[Group Membership]
*_Administrators__Memberof = "BUILTIN\Administrators"
*_Administrators__Members = "DOMAIN\NewAdminGroup"

Important caveats when implementing any of these methods:

• Passwords in scripts or ADM templates are stored in clear text in SYSVOL
• Consider using LAPS (Local Administrator Password Solution) if possible
• Test thoroughly in isolated environment before production deployment

After implementation, verify success with this PowerShell snippet (run locally on test machines):

$cred = New-Object System.Management.Automation.PSCredential("Administrator", (ConvertTo-SecureString "N3wSecureP@ssw0rd" -AsPlainText -Force))
Start-Process cmd.exe -Credential $cred -NoNewWindow -Wait

Managing local administrator accounts across multiple Windows XP machines in a Server 2003 environment presents unique challenges. The requirement involves:

• Standardizing credentials across all workstations
• Maintaining security through periodic password rotation
• Achieving this without manual intervention on each machine

While modern Windows Server versions include Restricted Groups policy for this purpose, Server 2003 has notable gaps:

# No native GPO for pushing local user credentials
# Limited PowerShell support (version 1.0)
# No built-in "Local Users and Groups" policy template

The most effective approach combines Group Policy Preferences (if available) with startup scripts:

Method 1: Using Startup Script (VBS Example)

Set objNetwork = CreateObject("WScript.Network")
strComputer = objNetwork.ComputerName

Set objUser = GetObject("WinNT://" & strComputer & "/Administrator,user")
objUser.SetPassword "NewSecurePassword123!"
objUser.SetInfo

Method 2: Net User Command via GPO

Create a batch script and deploy through Group Policy:

@echo off
net user Administrator NewSecurePassword123! /active:yes

Important safeguards when implementing this solution:

• Store scripts in SYSVOL with restricted access
• Use password encryption if possible
• Implement password rotation schedules
• Consider using LAPS for more secure environments

After deployment, verify success with:

# PowerShell (if available):
Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_UserAccount -Filter "Name='Administrator'" | Select-Object Name, Disabled, PasswordRequired

# Command line alternative:
net user Administrator

For environments where scripts aren't optimal:

1. Third-party tools like PDQ Deploy
2. Scheduled tasks with credential passing
3. Custom-developed WMI solutions