I just downloaded and installed Sever 2008 Web RC1, but after the setup completes I'm required to "create a new password" to log in (even though I've never created a password on the newly installed system); and no matter how complicated, long, simple or elaborate I make the password I get this message:


Any idears what the requirements are that I have to meet for complexity, history for the default domain? I've reinstalled Server 2008 two times just to see if there are any setup options I've missed with the same result...

change the password to something with numbers and letters and caps

like that: 123qweR

[ u could make it unattainably with vlite or waik ]

GL & Happy New Year

Thanks aviv00, but I in fact tried mixed case and numarical passwords exactly like the one you have there -- same result... There's a little blurb on the Vista pw policies but none seem applicable here -- perhaps my image is bad or something went wrong...

i would do a reinstall, sound like something didn't complete correctly, try Password1, that will pass the password complexity on the first boot, if that doesn't work the install is probably botched.

six letter, two numbers, and one special character (like @ or &) worked for me

Echo1.

^ worked for me, but then I messed up by using an nForce2 mainboard

it works ! you can change policies after login.

7 letters, 1 number and 1 special char & , worked for me

I ended up using a sentence from an old Beatle's song which I could remember. whatever you end up using, you are free to change it back to the the non-complex (or even no) password policy in earlier server releases through the group policy editor. Make sure you enable the service and then you can fire up gpedit.msc.