Much ado about scripting, Linux & Eclipse: card subject to change

2007-11-12

Password Reset Hell

My Notes password expired on the weekend. November 11th, in fact. Apparently the 'lest we forget' messages about WWI and WWII this weekend made me forget about the triviality of my password expiry. Oops.

So, I logged in this morning to discover I couldn't get on my VPN network. Called lab IT support. Was told to talk call Corporate support, via the 888 number.

No, they couldn't just forward me there. No, there's no IVR automated option for 'Password reset' which auto-forwards my call there.

So, I called the 888 number, and got 4 options, none of which fit my problem. You'd think this would be a FAQ and thus merit a menu option, but apparently not.

Tried the "other resets" option, which tells me to use a website which I can't access because it's behind the VPN firewall. Woo, circles.

Backed up one menu and tried the password reset option for the old AT&T VPN client, which generated an email sent to me (which I can't access as I can't get on the VPN) and to my manager. Manager pinged acting manager, who pinged me on IRC. Thank the gods I managed to convince him to lurk in #eclipse-modeling!

End of story? Hardly. Password didn't work.

Called lab IT support again. Explained problem. Told to call the 888 number again, but this time pick 'Notes password reset' and then speak to a human. Why is 'VPN password reset' hidden under 'Notes password reset' in the IVR menu? Good question.

Called 888 again, chose the Notes option, and was told "for Notes password resets, go see the website ... or, if you tried that and it didn't work (way to instill confidence there), stay on the line and we'll let you talk to a human." (Yes, I'm paraphrasing.) Sat on hold about a minute. Got a human, who reset my password. Woohoo.

Manager pinged acting manager who passed it on to me and this time it worked. Logged into VPN. Story over? No, it gets better.

Fired up Notes. Notes password had expired (Notes has been nagging me for a week to reset my expiring password, but I didn't get any reminders about my VPN password's expiry, and had forgotten that they now expire on the same schedule). So, I can't check mail until reset the password. Used the new one so that they'd be in synch and expire together. All is well?

No, not yet. Checked mail. Found note with new *temporary* password in it, expiring in 24hrs. Damn, gotta pick a new one. Went to password reset website to set new password. Stored new password in password store for safekeeping.

Now I have to reset my Notes password again so that it's the same as the network one. Click File > Security > User Security. Prompted for password. Click Change Password. Prompted for password again. Why do I need to enter my old password three times (at login, to access security options, to change password) to change it? Good question.

An hour of productivity lost, including 4 phone calls and wasting the time of both my managers, just to reset a password. Must be Monday.

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