IS&T are currently rolling out an update that will allow staff and students to change their SHU password from the login screen of any Windows 7 Managed Desktop workstation.

From the login screen there will be a new link which says ‘Reset My Password’. This will launch a browser window that will allow users to access the ‘Sheffield Hallam University Password self-service’ portal where staff can change their password or use their secret questions to reset their password without the need to phone IT Help.

On machines where this hasn’t been launched before it can take a few seconds for the browser window to appear as the system needs to configure itself to launch the window.

Removal of the ability to change the password from the ctrl+alt+del screen

Using the password change portal is the recommended method for changing and resetting passwords as this method alters the password almost instantaneously in all of the directories.

In order to ensure the password is not just updated within the Active Directory initially and so might not synchronise with the other directories immediately the ability to change the password from the ctrl+alt+del screen will be removed from Windows 7 Managed Desktop workstations.

Message during logon about user code or password expiry date approaching

In order to better inform users when their password or user code is about to expire staff will receive a message informing them of this during the login process.

At present staff are not warned if their user code is about to expire, whilst the the password expiry notification is performed by a notification balloon in the System Tray that can be easy to miss.