Common Questions about Passwords
From ITS Wiki
Today’s Technology Tip will address a few of the questions our ITS office is commonly asked regarding passwords. We hope that this tip will help you better understand the “why” behind our password expiration policy and will provide further information regarding passwords.
Question 1: Why do I have to change my password? Changing passwords regularly helps prevent misuse of your account without your knowledge if your password was somehow accidently (or deliberately) disclosed and increases system security.
Question 2: Why did ITS change my password? Short answer: we didn’t. If your password is being typed correctly but isn’t allowing you access to your account it’s a fairly safe bet that your password has expired. Centre passwords have a “life” of 230 days, then they expire requiring users to change their password.
Question 3: When I receive the warning, via email, that my password is going to expire in a certain number of days is it really going to expire? Yes. It is really going to expire. The notification email that you receive will tell you the exact expiration date. It’s always a good idea to go ahead and change your password as soon as you receive the notification so that you don’t forget.
Question 4: Can I change my password anytime or do I need to wait for a notification? You can change your password anytime. In fact, changing your password more frequently than is required by our policy/system will increase the security of your account…of course you will have to remember a new password more frequently.
Question 5: How do I change my password?
Windows Users
Users that have a Windows based system can change their password with the following steps:
• Log into the computer as usual
• Press CTRL-ALT-DEL
• Select “Change a password…”
• Enter your old password; then enter a new password twice as directed.
• Click OK.
This process can be completed at any Windows system on campus that requires you to login, including lab machines.
Note: If you encounter any issues with Outlook asking for your new password, simply log out and then log back in to address the issue. The situation should be corrected.
Additionally, when your password is close to expiring, the system will warn you at login and offer a chance to change your password. This process will provide a form identical to the one encountered in the steps above.
Mac Users
Due to the way the Mac Keychain works, changing your password on Macs requires you to follow exactly the steps below to ensure everything is properly changed.
• Click on the Apple logo in the top left corner of your screen.
• Select “System Preferences…” from the menu.
• Select “Accounts” from the System section. (This might be called “Users & Groups” on some machines.)
• Find your name in the list and select it.
• Click “Change Password” on the right hand side.
• Enter your old password; then enter a new password twice as directed.
• Click OK.
Note: By following these steps, your Keychain password will be updated. The next occasion that you access Outlook/Entourage may ask you to update your password; once entered, it will be saved until you next change your password.
Changing Off Campus or After Expiration
It is possible to change your password from off campus but ONLY IF IT HAS NOT ALREADY EXPIRED. To change your password from off campus, given that your password has NOT already expired, follow the steps below:
• Open your web browser of choice and navigate to https://www.centre.edu/mypassword/
• Select “Change my Password – Your password currently works, but you would like to change it.”
• Complete the form on the screen as directed; then submit it.
• Once the form is complete and submitted, a message will indicate that your password has been changed.
Note for Mac users that make use of this service: This process will not update the Keychain on your office computer. Any application that stores passwords (e.g. Entourage/Outlook) will ask for your old password before allowing you to continue. When this happens, simply open a ticket at http://helpdesk.centre.edu and a member of the ITS staff will assist you in changing the password for keychain.