Password Support
This page describes frequently asked questions for issues related to your CSU password.
Table of Contents:
How do I change my password? (using the old password)
1.) Go to netid.colostate.edu.
2.) Select "View/Update".
3.) Select "Change Password".
4.) Click on the appropriate campus login.
5.) Log in with your NetID and current password.
6.) Follow the instructions on that page to reset your password.
If you get a login error, proceed with the instructions in the next section - even if you remember your password.
How do I change my password? (without the old password)
1.) Go to netid.colostate.edu.
2.) Select "View/Update".
3.) Select "Recover Password".
4.) Enter NetID and Recovery Email.
5.) Check the email you entered for the link to reset your password.
6.) Follow the instructions to reset your password.
If you are unable to reset your password using this method, contact one of these groups to have your password reset manually:
If you're a student, please contact the Registrar's Office at registrarsoffice@colostate.edu or 970-491-4860.
If you're faculty, staff, or an affiliate, please contact Human Resources at MyHR@colostate.edu or 970-491-6947.
My password expired, what do I do?
Every year, affiliates of CSU are required to set a new password. You will receive reminder emails to your CSU email about this, so make sure to keep an eye on your email!
If your password expired before you could reset it, no need to worry. Just follow the instructions earlier on this page to reset your password. If you remember your old password, you can use the expired login information on the "Change Password" screen.
Can't log in?
Incorrect Username?
Remember that your username is your NetID. For CSU Pueblo and newer (after 2023) CSU Fort Collins, this is formatted like C#########, and for older (pre 2023) CSU Fort Collins, this is the username you set up.
Don't know your NetID? Contact one of these groups:
If you're a student, please contact the Registrar's Office at registrarsoffice@colostate.edu or 970-491-4860.
If you're faculty, staff, or an affiliate, please contact Human Resources at MyHR@colostate.edu or 970-491-6947.
Incorrect Password?
If you forgot your password, or it's not working for some reason, please use the password reset instructions found earlier on the page. We do not have access to your password, and cannot tell you what it is.
What is a recovery email?
Your recovery email will be a personal email - not your CSU email - that is associated with your account. This will be the email you used to set up your CSU account or, if you have changed it since, whichever the most recent email you set it to.
Recovery emails are used for when you've forgotten your password, or for if we need to verify your identity while changing things with your account.
What password do I use?
If you're signing into a department computer (Ex: lab computers, workstations, etc.) please contact the helpdesk for the department the computer belongs to. These have separate logins, and we cannot help users reset these passwords.
If you're signing into a website/program for class, there will usually be a "sign in with your institution" option (for sites like iClicker), or you'll need to create an account yourself. Check with the instructor for further clarification.
Your NetID password is used for services including (but not exclusive to) the following:
GlobalProtect
eid.colostate.edu
The AAR website
Canvas (for students with a NetID. Non-credit students have their own login)
Your email
RAMweb
csu-net
This is why you cannot change your password through your email - all of these sites have to be properly synchronized to ensure these passwords stay the same.
I'm having issues logging in, what do I do?
If the site you're logging into requires your NetID password, follow the steps below to identify the issue:
1.) Head over to netid.colostate.edu on an incognito/private tab, or using a different device or browser than you usually would. This way we can eliminate cookies/cache issues, site-specific issues, and (most important) autofill. Do not use a password manager that fills in your login information for the next steps. Having the login information pulled up for reference is fine.
2.) Under "View/Update", select "Show My Information".
3.) Try to sign in.
4.) Getting an error? Verify you're using the correct username.
If the site asks for your NetID, use your NetID, not your email, or your CSUID number (see our NetID FAQ).
If you're logging into your email, check that you're signing in with the right email address (see our Email FAQ).
5.) Still not working? Try different passwords. If none work, reset your password using the instructions found earlier on this page.
6.) Log out, and test the new password on the "Show My Information" page again.
7.) Once you're able to log into the NetID website, open the site you were trying to reach. If it was your email, give it ~30 minutes for the password to update with Microsoft or Google.
8.) Attempt to sign in using the password you just changed.
If you got the login to work through these steps, do the following in order to resolve the issue:
Clear the cache and cookies on your browser. Don't know how to do this? Search "(Your browser) clear cache" on your preferred internet search engine to find instructions.
Delete/update the login information in your password manager.
Update your browser and device.
Write your username and password down somewhere.