Windows Advisor

Where Did SCOPY Go?

XCOPY is the new SCOPY. Plus, disabling the trust password for a domain's workstations.

Q: Where can I find SCOPY in Windows 2003?

A: SCOPY used to be available in Windows NT 4.0 Resource Kit but is no longer available in Windows 2000/XP/2003. Among other things, SCOPY allowed you to copy the Access Control List (ACL) and audit settings.

Microsoft has included some of the same functionality that existed in SCOPY in the XCOPY command. Here are some of the switches that you can use with XCOPY in Windows 2000/XP/2003:

  • XCOPY /F -- Displays full source and destination file names while copying.
  • XCOPY /G -- Allows the copying of encrypted files to destination that does not support encryption.
  • XCOPY /H -- Copies hidden and system files also.
  • XCOPY /O -- Copies file ownership and ACL information.
  • XCOPY /X -- Copies the file audit settings (implies /O).

Type XCOPY /? at the command prompt for a complete list of options.

Q: How can I disable the computer trust password for our workstations in the domain?

A: When a trust relationship is created between domains, a password is used to create the trust. This password is periodically changed on both sides for security reasons.

Similarly, when workstations join a domain, they establish a secure channel with the domain controller. Both sides use a password to create this channel and then automatically change this password every seven days on NT workstations and every 30 days on Windows 2000 and Windows XP workstations.

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The passwords can sometimes get out of synch under certain situations, such as when workstations get turned off for an extended period of time.

If you want to disable password change, you'll need to modify the registry. Here's the procedure:

  1. Start the registry editor, regedit.exe.
  2. Go to HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Netlogon\Parameters.
  3. In the right-hand pane, double-click DisablePasswordChange and set the Value data to decimal 1.

If you would like to change the maximum password age (default is 30 days on Win2K and WinXP), you can modify the parameter MaximumPasswordAge in the same registry location as described above in Step 2. This value exists by default on Win2K and WinXP clients. On NT4 clients, it only exists if you are using SP4 or later.

If the value doesn't exist, you can add a new DWORD value called MaximumPasswordAge and then set it to 1. The valid range for this value is between 1 and 1,000,000.

About the Author

Zubair Alexander, MCSE, MCT, MCSA and Microsoft MVP is the founder of SeattlePro Enterprises, an IT training and consulting business. His experience covers a wide range of spectrum: trainer, consultant, systems administrator, security architect, network engineer, author, technical editor, college instructor and public speaker. Zubair holds more than 25 technical certifications and Bachelor of Science degrees in Aeronautics & Astronautics Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Information Systems. His Web site, www.techgalaxy.net, is dedicated to technical resources for IT professionals. Zubair may be reached at [email protected].

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