How to fix Error 1907 on Windows 11

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Why This Error Happens

Error 1907 occurs when Windows enforces a password expiration policy, but the system is unable to properly process the password change at the login screen due to policy conflicts, a corrupted user profile, or synchronization issues with the local Security Accounts Manager (SAM) database. This is common when a Group Policy forces password expiration while the local cache still holds an outdated credential state, or when the account’s password has genuinely expired and requires an update through a legitimate administrative channel.

Step-by-Step Resolution Guide

Step 1: Verify Password Expiration Policy Settings

  • Open the Run dialog (Win + R) and type secpol.msc to launch the Local Security Policy editor.
  • Navigate to Account Policies > Password Policy and check the “Maximum password age” setting.
  • If this value is too aggressive (e.g., set to 0 or 1 day), adjust it to a reasonable value like 30 or 90 days.

Step 2: Reset the Password via Safe Mode or Admin Account

  • Restart the PC and boot into Safe Mode by holding Shift while clicking Restart, then navigating to Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings.
  • Log in using a separate local Administrator account if available.
  • Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run: net user [username] * to force a manual password reset without triggering the expired flag incorrectly.

Step 3: Clear Cached Credentials

  • Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run rundll32.exe keymgr.dll, KRShowKeyMgr to open the Stored User Names and Passwords utility.
  • Remove any outdated or conflicting cached credentials associated with the affected user account.
  • Restart the machine to allow Windows to rebuild the credential cache cleanly.

Step 4: Check for Account Lockout via Group Policy Sync

  • Run gpupdate /force in an elevated Command Prompt to ensure the machine has the latest domain or local policy configurations.
  • If the machine is domain-joined, verify connectivity to the Domain Controller using nltest /sc_verify:[domainname] to ensure trust relationships are intact.

Alternative or Verification Steps

  • After resetting the password, log out completely and attempt a fresh login to confirm the “must change password” prompt no longer appears.
  • If the error persists, use chkdsk /f on the system drive to rule out disk corruption affecting the SAM database file located in C:\Windows\System32\config.