NET Command

NET.exe

The NET Command is used to manage network security resources as follows:

View user account password and logon requirements (also displays the machine type - NT Server or NT workstation)
NET ACCOUNTS

View password and logon requirements for the network domain.
NET ACCOUNTS /DOMAIN

Set the number of minutes a user has before being forced to log off when the account expires or valid logon hours expire
NET ACCOUNTS /FORCELOGOFF:minutes /DOMAIN

Prevent forced logoff when user accounts expire
NET ACCOUNTS /FORCELOGOFF:NO /DOMAIN

Set the minimum number of characters for a password.
NET ACCOUNTS /MINPWLEN:C /DOMAIN
The range is 0-14 characters; the default is 6 characters.

Set the maximum number of days that a password is valid.
NET ACCOUNTS /MAXPWAGE:dd /DOMAIN
The range is 1-49710; the default is 90 days.

Set passwords to never expire.
NET ACCOUNTS /MAXPWAGE:UNLIMITED /DOMAIN

Set a minimum number of days that must pass before a user can change a password (default = 0)
NET ACCOUNTS /MINPWAGE:dd /DOMAIN

Require that new passwords be different from 'x' number of previous passwords
NET ACCOUNTS /UNIQUEPW:x /DOMAIN
The range for 'x' is 1-24

Synchoronise the user accounts database (PDC and BDC)
NET ACCOUNTS /SYNC /DOMAIN

View user account details
NET USER [/DOMAIN]

Add a user account.
NET USER username {password | *} /ADD [options] [/DOMAIN]

Modify a user account.
NET USER [username [password | *] [options]] [/DOMAIN]

Delete a username
NET USER username [/DELETE] [/DOMAIN]

Generate a random password:

NET USER administrator /random

Add a Workgroup
NET GROUP groupname /ADD [/COMMENT:"text"] [/DOMAIN]

Edit a workgroup
NET GROUP [groupname [/COMMENT:"text"]] [/DOMAIN]

Delete a group
NET GROUP groupname /DELETE [/DOMAIN]

Add a user to a group
NET GROUP groupname username [...] /ADD [/DOMAIN]

Delete a user from a group
NET GROUP groupname username [...] /DELETE [/DOMAIN]

To View, Add or modify a local workgroup replace GROUP in the commands above with LOCALGROUP.

Examples

Create a group

C:\>NET LOCALGROUP spud /add

Add to guests

C:\>NET LOCALGROUP guests spud /add

Then remove

C:\>NET LOCALGROUP guests spud /delete

C:\>NET LOCALGROUP spud /delete

change a user's password at the command prompt

To change a user's password at the command prompt, log on as an administrator and type:

net user user_name * /domain

When you are prompted to type a password for the user, type the new password, not the existing password. After you type the new password, the system prompts you to retype the password to confirm. The password is now changed. 

Alternatively, you can type the following command:

net user user_name  new_password

When you do so, the password changes without prompting you again. This command also enables you to change passwords in a batch file. 

Non-administrators receive a "System error 5 has occurred. Access is denied" error message when they attempt to change the password.