Help Desk
Division of Information Technology Home
 

Lotus Notes/Domino Password and Security Guide

""

Contents

 

What is Lotus Notes and what is a Domino server?

Lotus Notes (subsequently referred to as Notes) is an application that can be installed on computers running Windows XP/Vista or Mac OSX 10.4.2 and later. Notes has many capabilities, but its primary use by SFSU is as a combined e-mail application (e.g., Eudora, Thunderbird, Outlook) and calendar application (e.g., Meeting Maker, Outlook, Entourage).  Notes is referred to as a "client" because most of the information it shows you is stored on a central computer referred to as a server.  The server "serves" information to the client.  See Introduction to Lotus Notes for more information about Notes' capabilities.

A Domino server is a large, central computer running software developed by IBM.  Your SFSU account either is, or will soon be, a  Domino account.  Among other things, a Domino account provides you with e-mail, calendars, and to-do lists. While e-mail applications can access the e-mail stored in your Domino account, that's all they can access.  Notes can access all the capabilities of your Domino account.  The SFSU Domino system is currently made up of twelve Domino servers.

SFSU E-mail Passwords, Notes Passwords, and  Notes ID Files

The term "e-mail password" has been used for the password you enter to access your SFSU account's e-mail using applications like Eudora, Thunderbird, Outlook, or Webmail.  However, SFSU accounts provide resources other than e-mail.  The number of resources (especially web based resources) provided by an SFSU account is growing.  Your SFSU e-mail password is stored on a central server and to change it you use the web application found at: http://www.sfsu.edu/email.

An SFSU account's Notes password is not the same password as its SFSU e-mail password, even if they are spelled identically.  Notes passwords are stored in special files called Notes ID files.  When an SFSU account is created, a Notes ID file containing the account's password is created at the same time.  The account's SFSU e-mail password is also created.  Initially, both passwords are identical, but it is important to remember that changing your Notes password does not change your SFSU e-mail password and changing your SFSU e-mail password does not change your Notes password.  If you change either password we recommend immediately changing the other to match it.

Keep in mind that:

How Does My Notes Password Protect Me?

You downloaded a copy of your Notes ID file as part of your first installation and setup of Notes .  During the setup procedure your Notes ID file was copied into your Notes data folder and the password stored in your ID file was copied into your account on your Domino server. Your Notes ID file was "synchronized" to your server.

Definition:  The password in a copy of your Notes ID file is synchronized to your server if it matches the copy of your password stored in your account on your Domino server.

When you start Notes, you are prompted to enter your Notes password. The password you enter is compared to the password stored in your Notes ID file.  Notes will not open unless they match.  Once Notes is open, the password you entered is compared to the password stored in your account on your Domino server.  You will not be able to see data stored in the Domino system unless they also match.  If they don't match you will be told:

"You have a different password on another copy of your ID file and you must change the password on this copy to match".

This keeps anyone who has an old copy of your Notes ID file with an out-of-date password in it from connecting to your server as you.  If you get this message you must change the password stored in your Notes ID file to match the password stored in your account on your Domino server before you can access your mail, calendar, and other information in the Domino system.

How Do I Change A Notes ID File Password?

  1. Open Notes.  You can only change a Notes ID file password from within Notes!

  2. Select the following menu item:

    Windows:  File -> Security -> User Security
    Macintosh OS X:  Notes -> Security - > User Security

  3. Enter your Notes password to open the User Security window

  4. Select Security Basics, then click Change Password in the Your Login and Password Settings section. 

  5. Enter your Notes password to open the Change Password window.

  6. Enter a new password in the Enter new password field, then enter it again in the Re-enter new password field.

  7. Click OK.

This procedure always changes the password stored in your Notes ID file.  The copy of your password on your Domino server is also updated to your new password if, and only if, the old Notes ID file password was synchronized to your server.

Notes Password Synchronization (Changing Your Password for Multiple Notes Installations)

Each installation of Notes uses its own copy of your Notes ID file.  Opening a specific installation of Notes requires entering the password stored in that installation's ID file, but does not require your ID file's password to be synchronized to your server.  This makes it possible to open Notes using an out-of-sync password, then change the password stored in your ID file to match the password stored in your account on your Domino server.

Passwords get out-of-sync when you have more than one Notes installation and change your Notes password in one of them. The change affects both that installation's ID file and the server. The passwords stored in the ID files used by your other Notes installations still have your old password stored in them, so they are not synchronized to your server.

Synchronizing the passwords in your other Notes installations simply requires changing your old password to your new password in all of your Notes installations  The catch is that you must remember your old password as well as your new password.  When you change your password in one Notes installation, change it in all your Notes installations before you forget your old password!

Resetting your Notes Password

If you are unable to access your mail using Lotus Notes due to a forgotten password or damaged ID file you must reset your Notes password. In the meantime you can still access your mail online at http://inside.sfsu.edu using your SFSU ID number and SFSU e-mail password.

The first step in re-setting your Notes password is to request that your existing password be removed from your server. Use the SFSU Internet Account Owner Modification Request Form found at http://www.sfsu.edu/online/camsupds.htm Fill the form in with your information and make sure the comments line reads Reset Notes Password. Once the form is completed select Login.

Periodically view the status of your request on the SFSU Internet Account Update Status page at http://www.sfsu.edu/online/camsupd2.htm until you see that your password has been removed from your server. This can take between 3 and 5 days.

Once your password has been removed from the server download your original Notes ID file and verify your original Notes password. Your Notes password will be displayed on-screen, so take precautions to keep it from being seen by other people.

    1. Go to https://inside.sfsu.edu/adt/admin/adt.nsf/starthere .
    2. Enter your SFSU ID and your SFSU e-mail Password , then click Log In to take you to the Lotus Notes Upgrade Web page.
    3. Click on Click Here to Pick Up a Copy of Your ID File to open the User ID Archive page.
    4. Your original Notes password is displayed in the ID Password field. 
    5. Your Notes ID file is displayed at the bottom of the page in the form account.id , where account is replaced by your SFSU e-mail account name.  For example, if your SFSU e-mail account name is janedoe, then your Notes ID file would be named janedoe.id.  Click on the link to your Notes ID file and save it to your desktop.
    6. Close the User ID Archive page.

     

    Windows

    1. Download the Notes 7 Supplemental Tools utility and follow the instructions to run 'Restore Notes ID File' selecting the ID file you just saved to your desktop as your backup copy.

Macintosh

  1. Click on the Finder icon in your dock, then choose Go from the top menu bar and click on Go to Folder... . Type ~/Documents/Lotus Notes Data/
  2. In the Lotus Notes Data folder you will find your Notes ID file.  Its name will be in the form account.id , where account is replaced by your SFSU e-mail account name.  For example, if your SFSU e-mail account name is janedoe, then your Notes ID file would be named janedoe.id.
  3. Replace the copy of your Notes ID in the Lotus Notes Data folder with the copy saved on your desktop.

Open Notes and use your original password to login to your e-mail account.

This process effectively changes your password on the server and the account you are logged in to. If you have multiple Notes installations you will need to replace the copy of your ID file in each installation.

 

TOP OF PAGE

HOME
Site Home | What We Do | Help Desk | Account Services | Software | Hardware | Network
Telephone Services | Training | Computer Labs | Web Publishing | Policies | Sitemap | Contact Us

San Francisco State University

Last Modified: 22 May 2008
doit@sfsu.edu