How to Change Your Windows Password Anytime

Changing your Windows account password is a simple task that can be done any time you are logged into a Windows device while on campus. Typically we only do this when prompted by the system, but there may be occasions where you need to reset your password manually, such as when requested by FCIT.

When creating your new password, it must meet the following criteria:

Must not contain the user's account name or parts of the user's full name that exceed two consecutive characters.
- Fictional user, “Elora Danan,” could not use “elora” in their password, but could instead use “el0ra” using a zero instead of an “o.”
- Similarly, “d@nan” would not work, but “d@n@n” would because there are only two consecutive characters that are the same as their last name.
Be at least ten (10) characters in length (12 recommended).
Contain characters from three of the following four categories:
- English uppercase characters (A through Z)
- English lowercase characters (a through z)
- Base 10 digits (0 through 9)
- Non-alphabetic characters (for example, !, $, #, %)

Keep these helpful tips in mind when creating your password to keep it secure and easier to remember:

Longer passwords are exponentially more difficult to crack for every character added, even if you use a dictionary word. If you can create a memorable passphrase that is a few characters longer than the minimum, you can use a single number and character to satisfy the requirements, and keep it easy.
- For example: Princessel0ra
- The 0 is a zero in the above password, which would take 100,000 years to crack with modern technology. If you didn’t use the capital letter and number, the password becomes “princesselora” and would take about a year to crack. Big difference!
Do not use personal information that can be easily discovered as part of your password. Names of family members, pets, or even birthdays and anniversaries can be discovered by others on social media.
Try the Security.org Password Strength Tool to check the strength of your password!

Ready to reset your password? Here’s how:

Changing Your Password

From your Windows desktop, press the following key combination: CTRL + ALT + DELETE.
Choose Change a password from the menu options.

On the following screen, you will be presented with four (4) fields. Your username defaults to the first field. Enter your current password into the second field, or Old password.

Enter your new password into the third field, or New password, following the password requirements above. Confirm your new password by entering it again into the fourth field. Press Enter or click the arrow button.

If entered correctly, you will see a confirmation message. Click OK.

After clicking OK, you will be brought back to your Windows desktop. You have successfully changed your password!

Additional Information

If you are logged into another Windows device with the same account, you should log out of that device and log in again with your new password to ensure the new device can access your files and apps properly.

If you see an error after entering your passwords, use the “eye” icon in the password fields to see what you typed.

FCS utilizes Active Directory Services to manage Windows user accounts and Windows computers. These services are organized with a domain name, similar to websites on the Internet. Our domain name is FCS, and you will see the username field above has the domain before the first initial as “FCS\.” This indicates that you are connected to the FCS network. If you ever log in using a local computer account (this is extremely rare), you would replace this with the computer name.

Starting in the summer of 2024, our Windows password will change every ninety (90) days. While you can change your password with the method above before that happens, here is a document covering changing your password when prompted: Changing Your Windows Password (90 Days)

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to the Technology Department: FCIT Help Desk

Revision: 1.2