HELP: Password & General Account Questions

How can I change my password?
Passwords on the COE system "expire" every 180 days. This helps protect your account from unauthorized access.

Every 180 days or sooner, you must change your password. You will get a reminder in your email a few weeks before your password is due to expire.

You can change your password in COE Webmail. Log in to Webmail, click on the Account module (icon at the bottom of the screen), then choose Password from the top of the screen.

Or, you can change your password on the command line as follows:

  • Log into the system, either using ssh (Secure Shell) or by going to the Unix lab in 268 Snell Engineering.
  • When you have logged in, type passwd. You will be promted for your present password, and then asked to type your new password twice.
  • To avoid problems with ftp, be sure your password has 6, 7, or 8 characters. For security, don't include any part of your name or username in your password. Try to choose something easy for you to remember but hard for others to guess.
  • When you're done, log out. If you want to continue working, log out and log back in. This ensures that your password change is complete.

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I need my password reset!
If you have forgotten your password, or if you don't change your password before it expires, the COE Sysadmins will have to reset it for you.

To have your password reset, please stop by the offices of the COE Systems Group (273, 275, and 277 Snell Engineering) with your NUID card. We will be happy to reset your password for you when we have verified your ID.

If you are off-campus and need your password reset, please send a fax to (617) 373-8504 with a picture of your NUID card, your NUID number in writing, your email address, and the password you would like to have. The new password is CaSe-SeNsItIvE and it must:

  • be 6, 7, or 8 characters long
  • be a mix of letters and numbers
  • contain no part of your name or email address

We suggest that you include a phone number where we can reach you if there is a question. You can send a fax anytime, but we can collect them only during the hours that the Dean's office is open (8:30 - 4:30 weekdays).

Please understand that we cannot email passwords or reset passwords as a result of an email request.

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How long does my account stay active after graduation?
Generally, your account will stay active six months after graduation.  We will not terminate your account without prior notice.

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How can I change my login shell?
Please send email to help@coe.neu.edu to request a change in your login shell. Send the email from your COE account, and specify the shell you want selected from the list below.

Available shells are

/bin/sh
/bin/csh
/bin/jsh
/bin/ksh
/bin/bash
/bin/tcsh
/bin/zsh

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Problems with FTP
If you have trouble using FTP for file transfers, please check the following things:

  • Connect to ftp.coe.neu.edu rather than coe.neu.edu or some other host. Only ftp.coe.neu.edu permits ftp connections.
  • Be sure your password has between 6 and 8 characters. FTP has trouble with long passwords.

If these suggestions don't help you, send a message to help@coe.neu.edu describing your problem in detail. Let us know what ftp client program you are using, whether you are on or off campus, whether you are behind a firewall, etc.

It's also helpful to know whether you can connect to the system on the command line. Try using ssh (F-Secure Secure Shell) from a NUnet or COEwin PC, or from a Unix/Linux command prompt, and see if you can log in.  

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