Introduction
No one at Texas Tech University or from anywhere else should ask for your password.
TIP: A short URL (askit.ttu.edu/lockout) is in place which redirects to this content.
The eRaider account lockout feature prevents someone from guessing your password and gaining access to your account. It does this by locking your account after a number of bad passwords are registered within a certain time frame.
If your account gets locked out, it is almost always due to having an older password saved on one of your computing devices. The guide below will help you avoid lockouts.
Instructions
NOTE: IT Help Central employees cannot unlock accounts.
To prevent or troubleshoot a lockout
Tip #1
Do not save your credentials on any shared or lab devices. This includes the web browsers, wireless network connections, or any other apps on that shared device. If you save your credentials on this shared device, you will eventually change your password in the eRaider system and may forget to clear out these old, saved credentials on the shared computer. This could cause lockouts and it is often difficult to remember which device is causing the lockout.
Tip #2
Do not repeatedly enter your password if the system has notified you that you are entering an incorrect password. If you get locked out of your account, an automated system will automatically unlock the account provided that bad sign-in attempts do not continue.
Tip #3
If you normally sign in to your computer using your eRaider account, you should restart the computer immediately after changing your password. Then, sign in using the new password.
NOTE: Be sure to wait at least five minutes after changing your password to attempt signing in to your computer again. This gives the TTU domain system time to update your password on all servers.
Tip #4
Ensure that you are typing the password correctly. The lockout could be due to a simple oversight, such as the Caps Lock key being enabled or errors in capitalization. Remember that passwords are case-sensitive.
If your password is saved by an application, the password that is saved may be incorrect. Try re-typing the password carefully rather than simply clicking through the sign-in prompt using the saved password.
If you are unsure of your password, you can reset it.
Tip #5
An older eRaider password for your account may be stored in an application on one of your devices. Use the instructions below to check the most common locations for stored passwords.
Check all computing devices (laptops, tablets, mobile phones, smart TVs, etc.) where your eRaider password may be stored. Sometimes an old password can be stored in multiple applications and/or devices even though you may not be aware of it. Even though you may never open or use a particular app anymore, it still may have an old password saved. Apps can run in background too without you being aware.
When such applications run, the program may send the old password to the TTU domain multiple times, thereby locking your account. For instance, a particular app may send a password five times before it prompts you that the password is incorrect; therefore, three incorrect password entries by the account owner may result in the wrong password being sent 15 times, resulting in a locked account.
You may need to go into several applications and replace the old password with your new one, or clear the old password so that it's not saved. Also, clear any passwords which may be stored by your web browser, in Credential Manager in Windows, and in Keychain on your Mac.
You may wish to disconnect your computer or device from the network to avoid lockouts while you open applications and change the stored password.
Separate instructions written specifically for the service, application, or device that you are using may be available to guide you through updating stored passwords:
OUTCOME
With properly configured settings and no mistyped passwords, your account should be free from lockouts. If your account did become locked out, it will automatically unlock as long as no further incorrect passwords are entered on the account.