New Windows Admin Password Management Tools Arrive

• A redesigned local administrator password solution (LAPS) helps manage and rotate the Administrator credentials on Windows and Windows Server systems so that the accounts are available when needed.
• The updated solution simplifies deployment, works with Azure Active Directory, and can be deployed alongside the previous solution.
• Systems must be running fully updated installations of Windows 10 or newer and Windows Server 2019 or newer.

New local administrator password solution (LAPS) tooling was made available from Microsoft in Apr. 2023. This infrastructure allows customers to manage, generate, and rotate passwords used with the local built-in Administrator account on Windows PCs, servers, and domain controllers. Managing the password preventatively allows customers to rely on these accounts in “break glass” scenarios, such as repairing software on systems when they can no longer connect to the network or Active Directory (AD) or Azure Active Directory (AAD). This new, cloud-enabled architecture will let customers begin to replace the original model first made available for download in 2016. More importantly, it offers a solution for desktop PCs that are connected only to AAD, where the original solution required AD. However, customers should evaluate the new LAPS tool carefully, as the first release of the new version broke the old version when deployed concurrently, and later releases address most but not all issues—particularly if customers already deployed the new version when first released.