Access Account: Change or Reset Password for Penn State Access Account (WebAccess)

Article Intended For

Penn State faculty, staff, students, and affiliates who need to change or reset the password on their Penn State Access Account

Introduction

Your Penn State Access Account is the account you use to log in to WebAccess to access services such as email, LionPATH, Canvas, and Office 365.

You can change or reset your Access Account password by following the instructions in this article.  Click one of the following links to navigate to the section of this article that best describes your situation:

I know my password

• I need to change the password on my Penn State Access Account
• I got an email saying the password for my Penn State Access Account is about to expire
• When I tried to log in, WebAccess said my password has expired

I forgot my password

• I need to reset the password for my Penn State Access Account
• I tried to reset my Penn State Access Account password but didn't receive the email
• I need to update the recovery email address for my Penn State Access Account
• I tried to reset the password for my Penn State Access Account but it's been locked
• I need a password reset for my Friends of Penn State (FPS) account 

Article Body

I know my password

I need to change the password on my Penn State Access Account OR

I got an email saying the password for my Penn State Access Account is about to expire OR

When I try to log in, WebAccess said my password has expired

If you’ve been notified that the password for your Access Account has or is about to expire, or you want to change your password for some other reason, go to the Change Your Password page on the Penn State Account Management website (accounts.psu.edu).

I forgot my password

I need to reset the password on my Penn State Access Account

Quickstart

To reset the password for your Access Account, go to the Forgot Your Password? page on the Penn State Account Management website (accounts.psu.edu) and follow the prompts.

Additional Instructions, Tips and Troubleshooting

• If you have a recovery email address on file:

1. After answering a question to confirm your identity, you'll see a message like this on your screen: 

Password Reset Email Sent to x*******y@abc.com

2. Log in to the email account shown.  Look for an email with the subject line "Request to Reset Penn State Password".

If you don't see a password reset email when you log in to that email account, follow the instructions below under I tried to reset my Penn State Access Account password but didn't receive the email.

• If you don't have a recovery email address, but you have previously answered security questions (e.g., "What was the name of your first pet?"):

1. Answer the security questions when prompted.

If you answer the security questions incorrectly three times you'll see a message that says your ability to reset your password has been locked.

You may either contact the IT Service Desk for help or wait an hour and try again.

2. Once your password has been reset, follow the instructions under I need to update my recovery email address.

• If your account recovery information is missing or out of date:

If your Access Account doesn't have a non-psu.edu email address you can access, and you haven't established answers to security questions:

1. Contact the IT Service Desk and ask them to reset your password.
2. Once your password has been reset, follow the instructions under I need to update my recovery email address, below.

I tried to reset my Penn State Access Account password but didn't receive the email

If you don't see a password reset email when you log in to your recovery email account:

1. Check your Spam or Junk folder.
   
   
2. If your email address is a Comcast (xFinity) account, your spam filtering preferences must be set to Save a Copy of Emails Marked as Spam for you to receive the emails required to complete the account creation process. See Set Email Filters or Spam Filters – Xfinity Connect Help for Comcast / xFinity's instructions for checking or changing spam filtering preferences.
   
   
3. If you still don't see the password reset email, or you are unable to log in to your recovery email account:
   
   
   1. Contact the IT Service Desk and ask them to reset your password.
   2. Follow the instructions under I need to update my recovery email address.

I need to update the recovery email address for my Penn State Access Account

Once your password has been reset, you may change or add a recovery email address so you’ll be able to reset your password in the future without assistance from support staff.

To do this:

1. Go to the Security Settings page on the Penn State Account Management Website (accounts.psu.edu).
2. In the Account Recovery section, click Recovery Email.
3. Enter the email address you want Penn State to use as a secondary contact and click Update.

NOTE: Regarding the Email Address You Provide

Be sure that the email address you provide:

• is entered correctly, without typos,
• includes @ and the provider (Example: joe_shmoe@gmail.com),
• is not a Penn State email address (Example: js123@psu.edu), and
• is one you can readily access.

NOTE: Regarding Comcast / xFinity email accounts

If the email address you provide is a Comcast (xFinity) account, your spam filtering preferences must be set to Save a Copy of Emails Marked as Spam for you to receive the emails required to complete the account creation process.

See Set Email Filters or Spam Filters – Xfinity Connect Help for Comcast / xFinity's instructions for checking or changing spam filtering preferences.

I tried to reset the password for my Penn State Access Account but it's been locked

If an error message indicates that your ability to reset your password has been locked, contact the IT Service Desk for assistance.

I need a password reset for my Friends of Penn State (FPS) account

Contact the IT Service Desk for assistance.