Update SharePoint 2010 Farm Credentials

In SharePoint 2010, for SharePoint single server install – a common task that you have to do is to update the SharePoint Farm credentials whenever the password changes.

                                                                                     

Below are the two simple steps to update Farm Credentials:

1. Go to C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\14\Bin folder using cmd.exe (open it as administrator).

2. Run this command using your credentials.

stsadm –o updatefarmcredentials –userlogin DOMAIN\username –password $password$

Example: stsadm -o updatefarmcredentials -Userlogin XXXXX\xxxxxx -password xxxxxxx

Note: Please type the whole command by your own including each and everything. Sometimes copy & paste leads to text encode.

Bug Fix:
If your SQL Server service is running under your windows credentials. Please make sure that credentials updated manually. Otherwise you will get below error.
Error: Value cannot be null. Parameter name: farm
Fix:
1) Just go to services.msc and change the sql server service password to your current windows password,

2) Restart the sql server service.
3) Run the above command.