Unable to log in to Plesk: unknown user name or bad password

Symptoms

• When logging in to Plesk one of the following errors appears in a browser:

  PLESK_INFO: ERROR: Exception
  Unable to logon user (Plesk Administrator): (1326) The user name or password is incorrect.

  OR

  PLESK_INFO: ERROR: Exception: Unable check file existence: Unable to lookup SID for name Plesk Administrator: (1332) No mapping between account names and security IDs was done.<br> at Plesk impersonation(PipeServer::ServerThread::impersonateWithoutProfile line 786)<br> at (zif_plesk_internal_file_exists line 1507)

  OR

  PLESK_INFO: ERROR: Exception: Unable to get administrator password: The system cannot find the file specified. (Error code 2) at Unable to connect to pipe \\.\pipe\P_4755d610-937d-498b-a70f-6ee61941f472
  at (Con::ClientOverlappedPipe::create line 503)
  at getPassword('pwd')(PleskSrvClient::getInstance line 334)
  at (zif_get_admin_password line 260)

  OR

  PLESK_INFO: ERROR: Exception: Unable to get administrator password: Access is denied. (Error code 5) at Unable to connect to pipe \\.\pipe\P_964acf24-9bd8-4b94-89f7-2c5dc566f924 at (Con::ClientOverlappedPipe::create line 503)
  at getPassword('pwd')(PleskSrvClient::getPassword line 208) at (zif_get_admin_password line 260) Additionally, an exception has occurred while trying to report this error: Zend_Exception No entry is registered for key 'translate' (Helper.php:68)

  OR

  PLESK_INFO: ERROR: Uncaught exception 'Exception' with message 'Unable to execute proc_open: The system can not find the file specified. (Error code 2) at Unable to connect to pipe \\\\.\\pipe\\I_3ed9f1e1-4e0e-4d46-a245-8b166434ae88
  at (Con::ClientOverlappedPipe::create line 503)
  at (zif_plesk_proc_open line 1097)' in C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Parallels\\Plesk\\admin\\plib\\common_func.php3:363 Stack trace: #0 C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Parallels\\Plesk\\admin\\plib\\common_func.php3(363): plesk_proc_open('"C:\\\\Program Fil...', Array, NULL, Array) #1 C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Parallels\\Plesk\\admin\\plib\\common_func.php3(173): proc_open_exec('"C:\\\\Program Fil...', Array) #2 C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Parallels\\Plesk\\admin\\plib\\common_func.php3(95): util_exec('send-error-repo...', Array, Array, 'proc_open', 'C:\\\\Program File...') #3 C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Parallels\\Plesk\\admin\\plib\\Os.php(91): smart_exec('send-error-repo...', Array, 'proc_open') #4 C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Parallels\\Plesk\\admin\\plib\\CommonPanel\\Exception.php(322): Os:: (common_func.php3:363)

  OR

  PLESK_INFO: Unable check file existence: Unable to logon user (SERVER_NAME\Plesk Administrator): (1326) The user name or password is incorrect. at LogonUser(SERVER_NAME\Plesk Administrator)(CClientProfile::logon line 126) at Plesk impersonation(PipeServer::ServerThread::impersonateWithoutProfile line 761) at (zif_plesk_internal_file_exists line 1503) (functions.php:1783)

• The following error can be found in the Event Viewer:

  PLESK_INFO: Unhandled exception
  Execute file name: C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Parallels\\Plesk\\admin\\bin\\plesksrv.exe
  Unable to thread impersonate run without profile: Unable to logon user (\\Plesk Administrator): (1326) Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password.
  Execute file name: C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Parallels\\Plesk\\admin\\bin\\plesksrv.exe

  OR

  PLESK_INFO: Unable to change the user (Plesk Administrator) password: (2221) Could not find the username.
  at serviceMainFunc(plesksrv::serviceMain line 280)

• When trying to start Plesk Management Service in Plesk Services Monitor, one of the following errors appears:

  PLESK_INFO: The process terminated unexpectedly. (Error code 1067) at Start service plesksrv at (service::startStopService line 994)

  OR

  PLESK_INFO: System error 1067 has occurred 
  The process terminated unexpectedly.

  OR

  PLESK_INFO: Windows Could not start Plesk Management Service on Local Computer.
  Error 1067: The process terminated unexpectedly.

• When trying to repair Plesk with Plesk Reconfigurator, the following error message is shown:

  PLESK_INFO: Unable to execute "C:\Program Files (x86)\Plesk\admin\bin\usermng.exe" --install-plesk-admin:
  Change flags failed of user (Plesk Administrator): (1322) This operation is disallowed as it could result in an administration account being disabled, deleted or unable to logon.
  at execute console command --install-plesk-admin(vconsoleapp::start line 122)
  at execute "C:\Program Files (x86)\Plesk\admin\bin\usermng.exe" --install-plesk-admin(vconsoleapp::run line 139)
  Cannot start service plesksrv. System error is: Time out has expired and the operation has not been completed.
  Cannot start service PopPassD. System error is: Cannot start service plesksrv. System error is: Time out has expired and the operation has not been completed.
  Unable to execute "C:\Program Files (x86)\Plesk\admin\bin\websrvmng.exe" --configure-plesk-website:
  The system cannot find the file specified. (Error code 2) at Unable to connect to pipe \\.\pipe\P_6f2c920a-1db3-4b7d-8baf-d029b037caca
  at (Con::ClientOverlappedPipe::create line 503)
  at get shared instance of PleskSrvClient(PleskSrvClient::getInstance line 334)
  at execute console command --configure-plesk-website(vconsoleapp::start line 122)
  at execute "C:\Program Files (x86)\Plesk\admin\bin64\websrvmng.exe" --configure-plesk-website(vconsoleapp::run line 139)

Cause

The "psaadm" and/or "Plesk Administrator" users are missing on the server or lacking the necessary permissions.

Resolution

1. Connect to a Plesk server via RDP.

2. Repair Plesk installation:

   2.1. Start Plesk Reconfigurator at Windows Start > All Programs > Plesk or run the command below in a command prompt:

   C:\> "%plesk_bin%"\reconfigurator.exe

   2.2. In Plesk Reconfigurator, click Repair Plesk installation.

   2.3. Select the following:

   • Plesk Server Accounts
   • Plesk file security
   • Plesk Services

   2.4. Click Check.

3. Correct permissions by running the following checks one-by-one in Plesk Reconfigurator:

   • Correct disk permissions

   • Check Component and Folder Permissions (Note: Select all components from the list)

4. Restart the Plesk Management Service and Plesk SQL Server services:

   4.1. Start Plesk Services Monitor at Windows Start > All Programs > Plesk.

   4.2. In Plesk Services Monitor, check Plesk Management Service and Plesk SQL Server.

   4.3. Click Restart.

5. Access Plesk.

   If Plesk is not accessible with the error below, refer to this KB article for a solution

   PLESK_INFO: Access denied for user 'admin'@'localhost' (using password: YES)