FAQ N3
(See also FAQ: What should I do if I've forgotten my Hermes/DS/VPDN password or it doesn't work? and MWS Passwords)
If you have completely forgotten your Raven password, you need to request a password reset:
- You can visit the Service Desk, located on floor 2 of the Cockcroft Building on the New Museums Site (open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Thursday, Wednesday 10:00-17:00, Friday 09:00-16:30 (Telephone (7)62999) bringing identification with you. Site maps are available. Please note that it is not possible to give out passwords over the phone or send them via email.
- There is also a special method for resetting or retrieving your Raven password if you have an account (and know your password) on the Hermes mail system, or the mail systems run by the Engineering Department, the Department of Applied Maths and Theoretical Physics, the Computer Laboratory, or by Biological Sciences ('Mole'). To do this, go to https://jackdaw.cam.ac.uk/get-raven-password. If you are collecting a Raven password for the first time, or are re-collecting the original password allocated to you, not having changed it meanwhile, then you will be given the password immediately on the screen. If you have changed your Raven password since it was originally issued, then a new password will be generated and sent to you through the UMS.
If you believe you have the correct password but it doesn't work:
- First check the password you are using is your Raven password and not, for instance, your Hermes password
- If you are following written instructions remember that certain characters such as 0 (number zero) and O (upper-case letter o), or 1 (number one) and l (lower-case letter L) can look very similar.
- The next thing to do is check that the Caps Lock is not turned on. Many systems are case sensitive and typing characters in capitals is different to typing them in lower case. The Caps Lock usually has an indicator light on the keyboard which is toggled on/off with the Caps Lock key. If that fails try to login at another machine as the keyboard itself might be faulty.
- If the problem arises when you are trying to use your Raven password to login to a University system like CamSIS, CHRIS, CamCORS and so on, it is useful to check whether your Raven password works for other purposes. If it does, then the problem is with the system you are trying to reach, and you will need to contact the relevant Help Desk. You can also test your Raven password directly at a special Test web page.
If none of these options help, then you will need to request a password reset, as described above.
Last updated: March 2013