Win2K Server user account resets repeatedly to locked out status

Helper cannot login unless I can fix this bug

[Webwork]

Background: I'm the underqualified admin for a Win2K server.

I've set up a user account that heretofore has allowed someone to login via MSFrontPage and add/modify webpages. (Spare me the MSFP abuse, we use FP mostly for site management, relying on CSS for most of the builds. :) Today, when she attempted to login, she couldn't.

It appears that the problem is her user account keeps getting reset to "locked out" status. I confirmed this by checking the "properties" for her user account. The reset appears to happen on the first login attempt, right after I reset the check box so she isn't locked out.

The system message on attempted login is: "You do not have permission to access this Web Folder location."

It's not that she's entering the wrong account info on the attempted login. I've tried it too.

Anyone have any ideas about what might be causing a Win2K user account to lock out repeatedly and automatically?

I created a new user account for her and that had the same problems.

Any suggestions would be most welcome. The only mysterious explanation that I can come up with is that a recent WinUpdate may have bugged out a setting somewhere. I've checked all the usual suspects (account policies, etc.) and cannot find a clue.

I will be the LasVegas beer slave for whomever clues me in to the fix for this problem. Fix it and I'll fulfill your every (beer) wish. :0)

[webdude]

Do you have any lockout policies set on the machine? I have had similar problems when setting the login attempts below 5. Not sure why. 10 seems to work well for me. If no policies are set, I am not sure I can help you.

[Webwork]

Thanks webdude. Yep, I tried playing with the # of login attempts on the theory that something about the login might be triggering a multiple attempts message. No change when I raised the number.

[Leosghost]

Didn't the last rash of virii include something pointed at W2k servers also ..seem to remember something on MS security pages that only targetted servers ..

Otherwise no ideas sorry ..usual reasons ..ms servers ..but I wont start ..;)

[2by4]

check the time on both machines. Make sure both machines are set to get their time from a time server, the server from the standard usnavy time server, or another one, the client from the server.

[Webwork]

Failing all else, fall back to server maintenance circa NT 4.0 and IIS 4: remove the MSFP server extensions, reinstall the server extensions, reboot the server.

I haven't had to kickstart this server in this manner in almost 2 years, so I'm not griping. Win2K has been vastly more stable than NT4.0 + IIS4.

All is now working, until proven otherwise. :)

Thanks for the tips.

[webdude]

Leosghost,

I you're talking MS05-051, that was a "future" virus that was to be targeted to Win2k servers for a security flaw in MSDTC and COM+ components. Be careful of that patch though, it brought one of my servers down bigtime. If you like to twiddle with permissions to beef up security on your machines, this patch will fail. Windows has since added a workaround. Not sure if I should do this, but the fix is at [support.microsoft.com...]

Sorry Brett :-\