Password Case Sensitivity and System Error 1219

• Microsoft Windows NT operating system version 3.1
• Microsoft Windows NT Server version 3.51
• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 3.51
• Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0
• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0

Password validation in a Windows NT network is case-sensitive as long as the machine you are logged onto and the machine whose resource you are trying to access are both Windows NT machines; the case of the password entered and the password stored in the Windows NT user database must match. However, if a logon procedure takes place on a non-Windows NT machine (a Windows for Workgroups machine, for example) or the share being accessed is on a non-Windows NT server (even if the server is in a Windows NT domain), password validation becomes case- insensitive. There is one exception to these rules and one error that results from mismatched case in passwords.

The exception is that if you change your password from a non-Windows NT machine (using the Windows NT NET PASSWORD command), Windows NT stores your new password as a case-insensitive password and permits all subsequent log ons to be password case-insensitive. Even if another user logs on from a Windows NT machine, no password case checking is performed.

An error can be generated if you mismatch the case of your password after you've already logged onto a Windows NT domain. For example, if you establish a network session with a Windows NT machine by typing the following two lines

   net use x: \\ntmachine\data /u:domain\user PASSWORD
   net use y: \\ntmachine\apps /u:domain\user password

   System error 1219 has occurred. The credentials supplied conflict
   with an existing set of credentials.