Config Error Failed to decrypt attribute 'password'

Our systems department "cloned" a windows 2008 virtual server hosting an IIS7 server with several .net applications using framework 4 so that I could use the new server as a development environment.  When I got admin access to the new server I went into manage user accounts  and changed the IIS_OLDSERVERNAME user in the IIS_USRS group to IIS_NEWSERVERNANE then published the required projects from my client MS Visual Studio 2010 to the new server.  The publish went fine which encouraged me, but...

When I try to access any of the sites on the new server I get and exception...

HTTP Error 500.19 - Internal Server Error

The requested page cannot be accessed because the related configuration data for the page is invalid.

<div>...with the specific config error being...</div> <div> </div> <div>

Config Error	Failed to decrypt attribute 'password'

</div> <div> </div> <div>...which I read is likely due to the key being used to decrypt the password on the new server is different that the key on the old server.  How can I make the decryption key the same on both servers ?</div> <div> </div> <div>Thanks much for any help, Roscoe</div>