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Understand Your NetID & Password

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Basic information about your UMass Amherst NetID and password is provided below.

Your NetID

Your NetID serves as the primary user name for your IT Account and gives you access to the campus network, SPIRE, email and much, much more.

Note: Some faculty and staff have Subsidiary Accounts. These accounts are typically used to access course Web sites (a.k.a. Course Accounts) or for other academic or administrative projects. The user name for this type of account is not your IT Account NetID. Your NetID is the user name associated with your primary UMass Amherst Account.

Forgot your NetID?

Applicants: We will email you your NetID and a temporary password. On the SPIRE Logon page, under IT Accounts (right side of the page), click Password & NetID Help.

Students, Faculty & Staff: Get in touch with the IT Service Desk in-person, via phone, or online, or visit the Learning Commons Technical Support Desk (Lower level of W.E.B. Du Bois Library). Don't forget your UCard!

Your NetID Password

Your NetID password provides access to your personal information such as your email, your SPIRE account, or files stored on Box. To protect your personal information, please do not share your NetID password with anyone.

Forgot your password?

  • On the SPIRE Logon page, under IT Accounts (right side of the page), click NetID & Password Help to retrieve your password reminder or get a new temporary password.
    Note: To get a temporary password, you need to have email forwarding set for your email account or a non-UMass email address stored in SPIRE. (To add a non-UMass email address, log in to SPIRE, then go to SPIRE navigation > Personal Information > Email Addresses.)
  • Get in touch with the IT Service Desk in-person, via phone, or online, or visit the Learning Commons Technical Support Desk (Lower level of W.E.B. Du Bois Library) with a picture ID.

Create a Password Reminder

Store a word or phrase to help jog your memory if you can't remember your password. To create a password reminder:

  1. Log on to SPIRE with your NetID and password.
  2. In the SPIRE navigation, go to My SPIRE > Change My Password. To set your reminder, you will need to change your password first.

Change your password

Keep your online identity safe. Change your password twice a year.
Note: Google Apps users need to use Application-Specific Passwords for mobile devices and email software, so changing your NetID password won't affect those passwords. If you are changing your password for Web login, use the instructions below.

Note: If you have administrative access to the Human Resources system, you are required to change your NetID password every 180 days. more...

  1. Log on to SPIRE with your NetID and password.
  2. From the SPIRE navigation, choose My SPIRE > Change My Password. The Password last changed on field will show the date and time when you last changed your password.
  3. Enter your new password in the fields provided and click Change IT Password. Make sure your password meets our requirements for strong passwords.
  4. To change your password for a Course Account or Subsidiary Account, go to IT Accounts > My IT Accounts, click the account name, then follow the prompts on the screen.

Note: If you are an Exchange Email and Calendar user and are in the CAMPUS Domain, changing your password in SPIRE will also change your IT Active Directory/Exchange account password. For questions, please email Exchange Help.