How to Restrict Windows 7 Users to Change Their Passwords before Specified Time?

How to Restrict Windows 7 Users to Change Their Passwords before Specified Time?

When Maximum Password Age group policy setting is configured users are automatically allowed to change their passwords after a certain period of time. However due to security reasons administrators may not want users to change their passwords before a certain amount of time. As an administrator you can restrict users from changing their passwords before specified amount of time by defining Minimum Password Age which can be configured by following the steps given below:

1. Logon to the computer with administrator account.
2. Click on Start button.
3. At bottom of start menu in search box type gpedit.msc command and press enter key.
4. On Local Group Policy Editor snap-in under Computer Configuration expand Windows Settings and then expand Security Settings.
5. From the opened list expand Account Policies and from the list click on Password Policies.
6. From the right pane double click on Minimum password age and from the opened window in Password can be changed immediately after box specify the number of days before which users will not be able to change passwords.
7. 
8. Once done click on Ok button to accept and confirm your configuration and close Local Group Policy Editor snap-in.
9. Open Command Prompt and in command window type gpupdate /force to update here computer policy with latest configuration.
10. Close Command Prompt.