Computer Account Passwords

Reset Your BroncoWeb Password

Reset your BroncoWeb password online.

Password Requirements

The University requires all computer system passwords to be a minimum of 8 characters in length, expire no more than every 90 days, not contain significant portions of your account name or full name, not be a password you've previously used within the last year, and meet at least 3 of the following additional requirements:

  1. Uppercase characters
  2. Lowercase characters
  3. Numbers
  4. Special characters (non-alphanumeric) - we recommend you do not use a % sign in your password as some systems do not allow the % special character.

A password containing at least 3 out of 4 of these criteria will be considered valid.

Synchronized Account Passwords

The Office of Information Technology has synchronized Novell and Active Directory passwords for faculty and staff. These accounts include:

If you reset your password for one of the systems listed above, your password will change for all of the other listed systems.

Note: If your Active Directory account is through the College of Applied Tech or the College of Engineering, please contact your network administrator for assistance.

If you do not have an Active Directory account, don't forget to synchronize your Novell password with your local Windows computer password!

How to Reset Your Password

To reset your password for the systems above, log in to BroncoWeb and choose "Forgot My Password" from the menu on the left-side of the screen.

If you cannot log in to BroncoWeb because you don't know your existing password, or because your existing password is not allowing you to login to BroncoWeb, please go to http://broncoweb.boisestate.edu/ and click the "Forgot My Password" link at left.

If your password is intruder locked (e.g., three failed attempts have locked the account), wait 30 minutes for the account to automatically unlock.

Other Account Passwords

PeopleSoft HRCS Back Office

Your PeopleSoft HRCS Back Office account password is not synchronized with any other systems and must be reset separately. To reset your HRCS Back Office password:

If you are unable to login to HRCS due to a password or username problem, please contact the OIT Help Desk by phone at 426-4357.

Synchronize With Your Windows Workstation

When you reset your password via the BroncoWeb website, you also may need to reset your local Microsoft Windows computer password (this only applies if your computer does not log in to the BoiseState Active Directory domain - contact the OIT Help Desk at 426-4357 if you're unsure).

When you log in to your Microsoft Windows computer, you enter a username and password used for both Novell and either the local Windows account on the computer or the Active Directory side of the network.

If you reset your Novell password, your Active Directory password will be automatically reset as well. However, if you don't have an Active Directory account, your local workstation password will not be reset. This password will no longer be synchronized with your Novell password, and you'll have to manually change it in order to log in to your computer using a single username/password combination.

To reset your local computer password on a Microsoft Windows computer:

The Novell account is indicated by a tree icon with “BSU” next to it. There will also be a local workstation account (with the computer's name listed) or a domain (boisestate) account listed (if a domain - boisestate - account is listed, stop immediately and refer to instructions listed above for resetting passwords for synchronized accounts).

To reset your local workstation password:

Note: If the resource you selected is your local computer’s name (something other than “boisestate”) changing the password for your local computer will affect only that individual computer. It is not a network password and nothing else authenticates to it.

Google Apps for Employees

While your BroncoWeb username and password gives you access to your Google Apps account, you also have a Google password associated with your account.

Your Google password is used for advanced Google Apps features, such as Google Talk and IMAP and POP clients.

The Google password is not synchronized with your BroncoWeb or BroncoMail password, and does not change every 90 days. You can set your Google password by clicking the Set your Google Password link at the bottom center of the login page at http://apps.boisestate.edu/

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Password Advice

Resetting your password in accordance with University rules (spelled out at the top of this page) may be difficult to get used to; the days of setting a password to match the name of spouse, a child's birthdate, or your telephone number are over. Automated software used by hackers has made it too easy to guess these types of passwords. You may need to start thinking "outside the box" and develop a new mindset when choosing passwords. Techniques we recommend:

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Get Help

If you have difficulty changing any passwords, please contact the Help Desk at 426-4357. Passwords can only be changed over the phone or in person; for security reasons, requests via e-mail or Help Desk Self Service to reset passwords will not be honored.

Please note you will be asked for information to confirm your identity before your password can be changed.

We're open 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Monday - Friday, and you can reach us at 426-4357, or via e-mail at helpdesk@boisestate.edu

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