Can't change password policy requirements

[gopostal51]

I have a Sony Vaio laptop with Windows 7 Home Premium installed. I set a weak password when I first got my laptop (over 5 years ago) and have since wanted to change it to something stronger. However, when I try to change the password it tells me the password "does not meet the password policy requirements."

I've never set any password requirements, nor has the computer ever been connected to a domain that would do that. I can't edit the policy by finding secpol.msc. Microsoft support told me to "upgrade to pro and maybe the error will go away."

 

[Dee Kay]

The policy may mean that you are not entering enough digits, numbers, or or some characters like some of the newer password policies require. Try making your p/w at least 8 digits with at least one number and see if it takes that way. that is the only thing I can think of that such wording means.

 

[Dreamslacker]

Home Premium and lower editions of Windows 7 does not have the secpol MMC option. You can, however, manually edit the policy using the registry editor.

There are some keys you can look at:
For password complexity:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SeCEdit\Reg Values\MACHINE/System/CurrentControlSet/Services/Netlogon/Parameters/RequireStrongKey

For password change disable:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SeCEdit\Reg Values\MACHINE/System/CurrentControlSet/Services/Netlogon/Parameters/RefusePasswordChange

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SeCEdit\Reg Values\MACHINE/System/CurrentControlSet/Services/Netlogon/Parameters/DisablePasswordChange

If the ValueType DWORD is not 0x00000004 for these keys, then something has changed the password complexity setting or disabled allowing the password to be changed.

If the values are correct (4), then you likely have a corrupted user profile. It is simply best to create a new administrator type account and moving your data over.
For migration, you can use ForensIT User profile wizard. See:
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/15637.how-to-migrate-windows-user-profile-to-new-account.aspx