public void ChangePassword(int userId, string password)
{
  var user = new User{ Id = userId, Password = password };
  using (var db = new DbContextName())
  {
    db.Entry(user).State = EntityState.Added;
    db.SaveChanges();
  }
}

我用这个:

实体:

public class Thing 
{
    [Key]
    public int Id { get; set; }
    public string Info { get; set; }
    public string OtherStuff { get; set; }
}

数据库上下文：

public class MyDataContext : DbContext
{
    public DbSet<Thing > Things { get; set; }
}

访问器代码:

MyDataContext ctx = new MyDataContext();

// FIRST create a blank object
Thing thing = ctx.Things.Create();

// SECOND set the ID
thing.Id = id;

// THIRD attach the thing (id is not marked as modified)
db.Things.Attach(thing); 

// FOURTH set the fields you want updated.
thing.OtherStuff = "only want this field updated.";

// FIFTH save that thing
db.SaveChanges();

Ladislav的答案更新为使用DbContext(在EF 4.1中引入):

public void ChangePassword(int userId, string password)
{
    var user = new User() { Id = userId, Password = password };
    using (var db = new MyEfContextName())
    {
        db.Users.Attach(user);
        db.Entry(user).Property(x => x.Password).IsModified = true;
        db.SaveChanges();
    }
}

public void ChangePassword(int userId, string password)
{
  var user = new User{ Id = userId, Password = password };
  using (var db = new DbContextName())
  {
    db.Entry(user).State = EntityState.Added;
    db.SaveChanges();
  }
}

public async Task<bool> UpdateDbEntryAsync(TEntity entity, params Expression<Func<TEntity, object>>[] properties)
{
    try
    {
        this.Context.Set<TEntity>().Attach(entity);
        EntityEntry<TEntity> entry = this.Context.Entry(entity);
        entry.State = EntityState.Modified;
        foreach (var property in properties)
            entry.Property(property).IsModified = true;
        await this.Context.SaveChangesAsync();
        return true;
    }
    catch (Exception ex)
    {
        throw ex;
    }
}

结合几项建议，我提出如下:

    async Task<bool> UpdateDbEntryAsync<T>(T entity, params Expression<Func<T, object>>[] properties) where T : class
    {
        try
        {
            var entry = db.Entry(entity);
            db.Set<T>().Attach(entity);
            foreach (var property in properties)
                entry.Property(property).IsModified = true;
            await db.SaveChangesAsync();
            return true;
        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine("UpdateDbEntryAsync exception: " + ex.Message);
            return false;
        } 
    }

被

UpdateDbEntryAsync(dbc, d => d.Property1);//, d => d.Property2, d => d.Property3, etc. etc.);

或通过

await UpdateDbEntryAsync(dbc, d => d.Property1);

或通过

bool b = UpdateDbEntryAsync(dbc, d => d.Property1).Result;