Can't Change Password Policies Even as Admin 1

[Peahippo]

We have an XP machine that we configured for a single app, then took it physically off the network (without configuring it as a "Standalone XP", which is a longer process). The 4 people who use the app have their own logins, setup on the local machine.

We setup its accounts while it was on the network, and one account was my own login as a "power user". I logged in today and was surprised to see a password-expiration prompt.

I logged in as the local administrator, and then ran gpedit.msc. I did some snooping and helping around, and found this:

Computer Configuration Windows Setings Security Settigns Account Policies Password Policy

... and discovered that I couldn't change any of the password policies, specifically "maximum password age".

Why can't the local administrator (who purportedly has full privileges on the machine) change these settings?

 

[bcastner]

If you were part of a Domain, your logon is through cached credentials and under the control of Domain Policies, not local policies. Logon to the local workstation as Administrator (select under Domain "This Workstation."

1. You can change the users to Never Expire for their passswords:

Start, Run, control userpassswords2

Select the Advanced tab in the User Accounts window
Press the Advanced button below the Advanced user management header
Select Users in the Local Users and Groups
In the right pane, right-click the user name for which you want to change the setting, and select Properties
On the General tab, check Password never expires
Click Apply and OK (all the way out)

Do that for each user.

2. Control Panel, Administrative Tools. If you happen to be using the Category view, look under Performance and Maintenance. Next, launch the Local Security Policy applet. In the left tree, double-click on Account Policies and then select Password Policy. Find the item titled Maximum Password Age in the right-hand pane and double-click on it. If you set this value to 0, your passwords will never expire.