Caution Password checking must be disabled if you use a Smartcard; particularly if you are working in an environment in which users use both Lotus Notes 6 and Lotus Notes Release 5.

To view the password checking dialog boxes, choose File - Security - User Security (Macintosh OS X users: Notes - Security - User Security), click Security Basics, and then click the "Compromised Password" button under "Your Login and Password Settings." In the "What To Do If Your Password is Compromised" dialog box, click the "Password Checking" button. The following dialog boxes you see depend on whether or not you have password checking enabled.

If password checking is enabled

If password checking is enabled for you, you see the "Password Checking Settings" dialog box. The "Password Checking Settings" dialog box states that you have password checking enabled and displays any of the following information:

• "Change interval" displays the number of days before you are prompted to change your password.
• "Grace period" displays the number of days before the change interval time expires. Once the change interval expires you can no longer access servers, but you have a "grace period" amount of time to change your password and regain access before you require administrator intervention.
• "Password history" displays the number of passwords you can use before you reuse the same password again. For example, if you set your password to "Hello" at one time, and your password history was set to 4, you would have to use 4 new passwords before you could reuse "Hello" again.
• Whether your home server has password checking enabled for all users. If password checking is turned disabled on your home server, this means that your password will NOT be checked on that server, regardless of whether in general your security policy is set up for password checking for you.

If you do not have password checking enabled, you see the "Request Password Checking" dialog box. The "Request Password Checking" dialog box states that you do not have password checking enabled. It also gives you the opportunity to request changes to your personal password settings as well as your home server password settings. If password checking is disabled on your home server, your password will not be checked on that server, even if you have password checking set up for you.

To request a change to your password settings

You can send a request to your administrator to change some of your personal password settings.

1. Choose File - Security - User Security (Macintosh OS X users: Notes - Security - User Security), click Security Basics, and then click the "Compromised Password" button.

2. Click the "Password Checking" button in the "What To Do If Your Password is Compromised" dialog box.

3. In the "Request Password Checking" dialog, click the "Send Mail" button next to the section describing your personal settings.

4. Enter the name of your administrator in the To: field. If your administrator's name is available, it appears in the To field when you are connected to the network. Click the Address button to locate a name in the Domino Directory or your Personal Address Book.

5. Enter the changes you are requesting in the Memo field.

6. (Optional) Encrypt or sign your mail message by selecting Encrypt or Sign.

7. Click Send.

To request that password checking be enabled on your home server

You can send a request to your administrator to change the password checking settings on your home server, which would affect other users who use the same home server.

1. Choose File - Security - User Security (Macintosh OS X users: Notes - Security - User Security), click Security Basics, and then click the "Compromised Password" button.

2. Click the "Password Checking" button in the "What To Do If Your Password is Compromised" dialog.

3. In the "Request Password Checking " dialog, click the "Send Mail" button next to the section describing your home server settings.

4. Enter the name of your administrator in the To: field. If your administrator's name is available, it appears in the To field when you are connected to the network. Click the Address button to locate a name in the Domino Directory or your Personal Address Book.

5. Enter the changes you are requesting in the Memo field.

6. (Optional) Encrypt or sign your mail message by selecting Encrypt or Sign.

7. Click Send.

See Also

Changing passwords
Enabling Smartcards for Notes login