Updating Credentials

Service Credentials Manager allows you to efficiently update credentials for Windows services and scheduled tasks across multiple computers. This guide explains the credential update process and options.

Updating Service and Task Credentials

After scanning computers for services and scheduled tasks, you can update the credentials used by these items:

Starting the Update Process

1. Scan computers to discover services and tasks (see Scanning Services and Tasks)
2. In the services grid, select the services and/or tasks you want to update
3. Click "Update Credentials" on the toolbar
4. The update credentials screen will open in a new tab

Credential Update Options

In the update credentials screen, configure the following options:

New Credentials

• Username - Enter the new username in format domain\username or username@domain.com
• Password - Enter the password for the account
• This is a Managed Service Account - Check this box if using a Managed Service Account (MSA) or Group Managed Service Account (gMSA)

Special account notes:

• For LocalSystem account, enter .\LocalSystem as the username
• For Managed Service Accounts, you can leave the password field empty

Options

• Restart running services after credential change - Automatically restart services that were running before the update
• For scheduled tasks, run only when user is logged on - Change tasks to run only when the user is logged on (interactive mode)

Executing the Update

1. Configure the new credentials and options as described above
2. Review the list of selected services and tasks at the bottom of the screen
3. Click "Update Credentials" to begin the process
4. The application will connect to each computer and update the credentials
5. Progress will be displayed during the update

Understanding the Results

After the update completes, you'll see a summary:

• Successful - Number of services/tasks updated successfully
• Restart Errors - Number of services that couldn't be restarted
• Failed - Number of services/tasks that failed to update

The grid will show detailed results for each service/task, including any error messages.

Task Details Updates

For scheduled tasks, you can also modify additional properties:

Editing Task Properties

1. Select a scheduled task in the services grid
2. Right-click and select "View Task Details" or use the context menu
3. In the task details view, click "Edit Properties"
4. Modify the desired properties:

Principal Information

• User ID - The account that runs the task
• Password - Password for the account
• Logon Type - How the task logs on (Password, InteractiveToken, etc.)
• Run Level - Whether the task runs with basic or elevated privileges

Settings

Enable "Enable Settings Modification" to change these options:

• Allow Demand Start - Allow the task to be started manually
• Allow Hard Terminate - Allow the task to be forcibly terminated
• Disallow Start If On Batteries - Prevent the task from starting on battery power
• Stop If Going On Batteries - Stop the task if switching to battery power
• Hidden - Hide the task from the Task Scheduler UI
• Run Only If Idle - Run only when the computer is idle
• Run Only If Network Available - Run only when a network connection is available
• Start When Available - Start the task as soon as possible after a scheduled start is missed
• Wake To Run - Wake the computer to run the task
• Restart Count - Number of times to attempt restarting the task on failure

Applying Task Changes

1. After making the desired changes, click "Apply Changes"
2. The application will update the task on the remote computer
3. Status will be shown at the bottom of the screen

Understanding Permissions

To update service and task credentials, you need appropriate permissions:

Required Permissions for Services

• Administrative access on the target computer
• The "Log on as a service" right is automatically granted to the new account

Required Permissions for Tasks

• Administrative access on the target computer
• For tasks that run with highest privileges, the account must have appropriate rights

Best Practices

• Test credential updates on non-production systems first
• Use the restart option cautiously for critical services
• Consider the impact of service restarts on dependent services and applications
• Keep a record of credential changes for audit purposes (using the export feature)
• Verify service and task functionality after updating credentials
• For security-critical updates, verify that the old credentials are no longer being used anywhere

Troubleshooting Credential Updates

If you encounter issues during credential updates:

• Access Denied - Ensure you have administrative rights on the target computer
• Invalid Credentials - Verify the new username and password are correct
• Service Restart Failures - Check service dependencies and ensure the new account has necessary permissions
• Task Update Failures - Verify the account has appropriate rights for the task's actions

For more troubleshooting information, see Common Errors and Troubleshooting.