Many aspects of the BU Web site require that you go through BU's Web Login page in order to authenticate. If you have problems with that process, or any other problems with a Web-based application (such as Horde), the following suggestions will be helpful.

Make sure your login information is correct

Make sure to Web Login correctly
Make sure you are using only the login portion of login@bu.edu and that you are using your BU Kerberos password. If you have forgotten your password, you can reset it as described at www.bu.edu/computing/accounts/kerberos/. If you are trying to Web Login with a "Web account" (as in the case of BU applicants) your login is, instead, the entire e-mail address you supplied - for example, sampleperson@isp.com.

Do you need a BU login name and ACS account?
If you don't yet have a BU login name and ACS account, and your current affiliation with the University qualifies you for one, you can apply as described at www.bu.edu/computing/accounts/acsaccounts/. You will need an ACS account in order to use the BU e-mail portal at www.bu.edu/webmail.

Are you applying to BU and need a BU Web Account?
If you are applying to BU and need a BU Web Account, go to the Application/Applying page of the school or college you are applying to and look for the NEW USERS: SETUP. If you have any problems with that process, please refer to the other browser troubleshooting suggestions on this page and contact us if you still can't resolve it.

Do basic troubleshooting

Quit/Exit the browser and try again
Sometimes all you need is a fresh start. See if it helps to quit the browser and try again.

Try clearing the cache, or try a "hard" Refresh/Reload
It can also help to clear the browser's cache. Instructions can be found in your browser's Help menu, or at www.bu.edu/webcentral/learning/vista/howto/clearbrowser/index.html. You could also try a Refresh/Reload while holding down the Apple or Control key.

If your Web Login problem is specific to accessing BU's Web-based mail...
Make sure you are starting at www.bu.edu/webmail and clicking on the link to log in to Horde. If you're using a Bookmark that points to any page other than www.bu.edu/webmail, please change it to point to that page. If you find that you are repeatedly getting the Web Login screen, please review the "Steady the IP address" section below.

Run the Web Login troubleshooting tests at
http://weblogin.bu.edu/troubleshooting and, if you did not pass one or more of the tests, you might need to...

Still not working?

If you have tried everything listed above but are still having problems, you will want to run through the tests/solutions/work-arounds listed below.

Test with a different browser
For example, if you were using Internet Explorer, try using Mozilla Firefox. If you were using AOL's browser, try using Internet Explorer or Firefox. In terms of troubleshooting, the browser change will reveal whether or not the problem is related to a setting in the browser you were using or, instead, to something about your Internet connection and/or firewall/security software.

If using a different browser doesn't help, test from a different computer
If the step above doesn't help, see if the problem still occurs when you are using a different computer on the same network (that's connected in the same way - e.g. both wireless). In terms of troubleshooting, the computer change will reveal whether or not the problem is related to something about your Internet connection, or to firewall/security software, or, possibly, to an issue with your account.

Can't access BU sites (only) but other sites work properly?
Sometimes people find that they can't get to BU sites and the problem occurs only on one computer. If this happens, test with a different browser on that computer. If only one browser is an issue, make sure that you don't have any preconfigured proxy settings (from another school or organization) in the browser you are having a problem with (see help at www.bu.edu/proxy/faqs.html#clear). Otherwise make sure your computer is clear of viruses and spyware, and that you have reviewed the other options listed on this page.

Steady the IP address
If you are not on the BU network, it's possible that the Internet Service Provider you are using has implemented a rotating IP address system. (Your network IP address needs to remain the same during the course of a session in order for the session to function properly.) A typical symptom of this is that you will get prompted to Web Login repeatedly. To work around this...

Check your firewall settings
Programs such as Norton Internet Security and Norton Personal Firewall can be set to block cookies. If you have one of these programs installed, open it and see if you might have turned on (or it might have turned on) options to "protect privacy" or "block cookies." If so, you will need to turn that setting off to use BU's Web Login.  

If you can't download attachments, modify or reset (to default) your Security settings
Sometimes security settings get defined in such a way that they prevent your browser from working properly with BU Web-based applications. One symptom we sometimes see, for example, is that people cannot download attachments from Horde when their Windows security settings prevent it. The steps outlined at www.bu.edu/pcsc/desktop/browsers/security/ will show you how to reset specific settings, or how to reset all settings to default (as is recommended).

If you can't upload attachments or files, allow www.bu.edu as an exception in your pop-up blocker
Sometimes pop-up blockers will prevent your browser from working properly with BU Web-based applications. One symptom we sometimes see, for example, is that people cannot upload attachments to Horde or other files to other BU applications. To fix this, set your pop-up blocker to allow www.bu.edu as an exception.

Check your computer for spyware
If nothing mentioned above has resolved the problem for you, it's possible that spyware is disrupting your browser, your Internet connection, or your ability to maintain a consistent IP address. Spyware can cause all sorts of problems so, in all mysterious troubleshooting situations, we recommend that you clean and protect as described on our page at www.bu.edu/pcsc/spyware/.

Contact us if nothing listed above resolves the problem
If nothing listed above has resolved the problem for you, it's possible that there is an issue on our end, or with your account, and you should contact us. However, please do make sure that you have reviewed every possibility listed above. We'll need to know what you've already tried and the results of your testing in order to help narrow down the problem. Please also send the text of any error codes you are seeing.

Other troubleshooting resources

Need to remove stored password(s)?
www.bu.edu/pcsc/desktop/browsers/saved-passwords/

Need help using EZProxy (to access a library resource)?
www.bu.edu/proxy/faqs.html.

Need help using Blackboard?
www.bu.edu/webcentral/learning/courseware/support/ or call
353-8247.