machine passwords

[Bartlomiej Solarz-Niesluchowski]

Good morning!

I have in my net over 500 PC.

Currently (windows ME/98) I clone whole disks between workstations with 
partimage (I setup special software which changes "computer name" 
automatically based on revDNS name of computer - so clone process is whole 
automatic).

Now I want to change client OS to XP.

Now I have questions.

When I made software on PC e.g. mother01 (with joining domain) and clone it 
to dauther01 + change "computer Name" with regedit from mother01 to 
dauther01 i can not log in because domain password for dauther01 is not 
set. So I copy domain password from mother01 to dauther01 and I can log in. 
But I do not know if those password changes in time. e.g. at 13.8 it is 
AAAAAAAA but after e.g. 2 weeks it was changed (I read that machines 
passwords are automatically changing in time without rejoining domain - it 
is true?) - if somebody know when machines passwords are changing (if only 
on joining domain - it is no problem (I can copy password from mother01 to 
whole bunch of dauthers), but if it changes automatically I am in tuple)?

Please enlight me about machine passwords and its behaviour...

Best Regards


--
Bartlomiej Solarz-Niesluchowski, Administrator WSISiZ
e-mail: B.Solarz-Niesluchowski at wsisiz.edu.pl