Information Technology - How to Change Your Auburn University Password

Changing Your Auburn University Password

This article discusses a few things you need to consider before changing your Auburn University (AU) password and walks you through the process of updating your password on many common IT resources. Before changing your password, please read through the following steps.

Note: It is best to change your password while located on Auburn's campus. This will prevent account lockouts due to older password credentials possibly being stored, and it allows for a more seamless password update across all Auburn University systems.

Step 1: Preparation - Before You Get Started

1. Identify what devices and services you log into that regularly use your AU credentials. These may be devices used to access your email or other work-related resources including, but not limited to:

Email clients on work and home devices
Auburn wireless network (AU_WiFi or eduroam)
Shared and mapped network drives
Job-specific resources
Computers located on other parts of campus or affiliated campus locations (Do you occasionally log in to AU resources on an on-campus computer but in a remote location such as a lab, research area, extension office, or secondary office?)

Tip: To find a list of mobile devices using your AU password, log into your Microsoft 365 email account at owa.auburn.edu. Click the Gear Icon in the top right of the screen, and select Account > Mobile Devices. A list of your mobile devices synchronizing with your mailbox will be displayed. This list may include devices that you no longer use; those devices can be removed, if needed.

2. Gather your primary computer and devices (phone, tablet, etc.), and plan to turn off or disconnect devices at your home or other remote location.

Step 2: Changing Your Password

1. Open a web browser, and navigate to auburn.edu/myaccount. Enter your AU username (username only; do not include @auburn.edu) and your AU password, and click Log In. If you receive an error message or are unable to log in to MyAccount at this step, contact the IT Service Desk at (334) 844-4944 for assistance.

MyAccount Login Screen

2. Click Update Password.

MyAccount Update Password Screen

3. You will be prompted to create a new password. As you meet the password rules, they will turn green. All rules must be green in order to proceed with saving the new password.

For assistance in creating a strong password, refer to our Knowledge Base article titled Creating a Strong Password.

Once all rules have turned green, scroll to read and accept the Cloud Storage Agreement, and click Change Password. You will receive a successful password update confirmation on the screen and in an email message.

MyAccount Change Password Screen

Step 3: Updating Your Alternate Email Address and Security Questions and Answers

Including an alternate email address on your account and having security questions and answers on file can help you reset your password easily if you ever forget it. Both options can be done from the main MyAccount home page (click the MyAccount button in the upper center of the screen to get back to the MyAccount home page).

1. To add or update an alternate email address to your account, click on Update Alternate Email Address.

MyAccount Update Alternate Email Address Screen

2. Enter and confirm your alternate email address, and click Update. Notifications are sent to your AU email address when changes are made to your account. If an alternate email address is on file, those account change notifications will also go to the alternate email address. Note: Your Auburn email is not forwarded to this alternate email address.

MyAccount Update Alternate Email Address Screen

3. To add or update security questions and answers on your account, click the MyAccount button in the upper center of the screen to get back to the MyAccount home page, and click Update Security Questions & Answers.

MyAccount Update Security Questions and Answers Option

4. Select at least five (5) questions from the drop-down lists and answer in the appropriate fields. If you forget your password, these questions will be used to verify your identity. Click Update. You will see confirmation that your security questions and answers have been updated.

MyAccount Security Questions and Answers Screen

5. From the MyAccount home page, click Logout to exit MyAccount.

MyAccount Logout Option

Step 4: What Happens Next? Updating Your Password on Your Devices

Now that you have reset your password and updated your security questions, your computer and other devices will begin responding to your password change. Please note that this change may take up to 30 minutes to filter through the Microsoft 365 systems.

After changing your password, you should immediately update the password saved on all of your devices. Failure to do so in a timely manner may cause your account to be locked due to an accumulation of failed login attempts. If this occurs, contact the IT Service Desk at (334) 844-4944.

Your Computer: Your computer may prompt you to press Ctrl+Alt+Del on your keyboard simultaneously to unlock your system and login with your new password. If you are currently logged in on your computer, it may prompt you to Ctrl+Alt+Del to lock your system and log back in with your new password.

Mac Users: Mac users may need to remove the password from Keychain. For additional guidance, refer to the Knowledge Base Article titled How Do I Delete a Password from Keychain.

Your Email: Your email may prompt you to login. If you are connecting from off-campus, you will be required to authenticate via Duo.

Your Mapped Drives: If you connect to shared or network drives, you may notice a connection error. Logging off, then logging back in on your device should restore connection to your mapped drives.

Your Wireless Network Connection: Your password will be cached, or saved, in your wireless settings. You will need to "forget" the AU_WiFi and eduroam networks so that you will be prompted for your new password when you reconnect. Please refer to the Knowledge Base Article titled Connecting Your Device to a WiFi Network for instructions on how to reconnect or rejoin a WiFi network on your device(s). Instructions for the most common devices are found below.

How to Forget a Wireless Network on a Windows Machine:

- - From Settings, click Network & internet.
  - Click WiFi.
  - Click Manage Known Networks.
  - Click AU_WiFi and click Forget.

How to Forget a Wireless Network on a Mac:

- - In the upper right-hand corner of your screen, click the WiFi symbol.
  - When the window appears, click Open Network Preferences.
  - Click Advanced.
  - Select the wireless network you wish to remove, and click the minus (-) button located just below the list.
  - Additional instructions can be found on Apple's Support Page.

How to Forget a Wireless Network on an iOS Device:

- - From your Home screen, tap Settings.
  - Tap WiFi.
  - Tap on the "i" information icon to the right of the network name, and tap Forget This Network.
  - Additional instructions can be found on Apple's Support Page.

How to Forget a Wireless Network on an Android Device: (Note: Exact settings may vary depending on manufacturer and OS version.)

- - Go to Settings (gear icon).
  - Tap Connections or Network & Internet.
  - Tap WiFi.
  - Tap the WiFi network that you wish to forget.
  - Tap Forget.
  - Additional instructions can be found on Google's Support Page.

Your password change is now complete, and your systems are updated. If you need assistance or have questions, contact the IT Service Desk at (334) 844-4944 or itservicedesk@auburn.edu.