FAQ on Computer Account                     Show all answers         Hide all answers

Staff and students will be reminded to change their HKU Portal PIN (PIN) regularly every 180 days. Staff and students are strongly advised to follow the 180 days password change practice. Staff and students will see a reminder message when they login to HKU Portal 2 weeks before the password expiry. They will also receive email messages to remind them to change their PIN.
(See http://www.itservices.hku.hk/policies/password_policy_reminder.htm for more information)

For disabled HKU Portal account due to password ageing, staff/students can reactivate their accounts by changing the PIN online through an attempt to login HKU Portal (See http://www.itservices.hku.hk/faq/reset_portal_pin.htm for the procedure)

Please also refer to the HERE for the password policy.

A computer account is automatically created for all new students at the time of registration at HKU.

Staff can create their own computer account by visting http://www.itservices.hku.hk/account/staff/apply/information.html

For other types of account, scroll down the page of http://www.itservices.hku.hk/services/forms.htm, choose the appropriate form under Forms for Computer Accounts, fill in and submit by fax/mail. Or visit the Computer Centre General Office at Room 223, Run Run Shaw Building to fill in a paper form.

The account name can be 4-8 characters long, starting with a lower case letter, followed by lower case letters or digits.

For students: Your initial computer account name is 'h' and the third to the ninth digits of your student number e.g. "h0956789" for student number 2009567891.
For staff: You can choose your account name.

The same account name (UID) is used for the following computer accounts.  However, different passwords for the various accounts are maintained separately.

• email account (the email password is the same as the HKU Portal PIN).
• network account (for connecting to the HKUVPN networks)

What is an email alias?
Click here to see the FAQs on email alias

I applied for a named account, but my chosen account name was not allowed. Why?
The account name you have chosen is not related to your real name. Or, the account name you have chosen already exists in the system. Try another name.

Students who register through online Master Registration can only change the pre-assigned HKU Portal UID during online Master Registration. For others, they can change the pre-assigned HKU Portal UID within 7 days after collecting their student cards. In the HKU Portal, click Campus Information Services => Central IT Services => Change UID. 
Staff members can choose their own account names at account creation.

Anyone who wishes to change the account name (Portal UID) should write a signed letter to our User Services Manager stating the reasons requesting the change and send it to the Computer Centre, Room 223, Run Run Shaw Building, When the application is approved, you will be notified to come to the Computer Centre General Office (Room 223, Run Run Shaw Building) to pay a fee of $200 to cover the administrative overhead in updating all related accounts and records.

Note: If there is no response when you click the link to change your Portal UID, probably your Internet Explorer blocks pop-up windows. If you do not see a pop-up window, then on the IE brower, click menu Tools => Pop-up Blocker => Turn Off Pop-up Blocker. If you can see the pop-up window, your network may have a security setting to block the access to the program (by your firewall or your organisation's firewall). Please allow Internet traffic on TCP Port 8030.

No. The account name is used in login the HKU Portal. Once an account name (UID) has been created as a staff or student account, the new system will record the staff or student status of the account name, which cannot be changed.

Staff and students have to apply for a new account (holding a new account name) whenever their status changes.

4.1 How do I change my HKU Portal PIN (email password)?

If you remember your current passwords, you can change your password under the HKU Portal. Login the HKU Portal at https://hkuportal.hku.hk with your Portal UID and PIN. After login, click Campus Information Services => Central IT Services => Change HKU Portal PIN => Change HKU Portal PIN.

Note: changing the HKU Portal PIN will set the email password(s) to be the same as the Portal PIN.

4.2 I forgot my HKU Portal PIN (email password). How do I reset my Portal PIN through Secret Question Approach?

If you have set up your secret question already, you can reset your PIN by clicking here.

How to set up a Secret Question for resetting HKU Portal PIN:

• A "secret question" approach is a self-help mechanism to facilitate identify verification when a user has forgotten the HKU Portal PIN.  By setting up your secret question beforehand, you can reset your HKU Portal PIN yourself when you forget the PIN next time. No more paper application is required.

• To set up a "secret question", please do the following:

Login HKU Portal => Campus Information Services => Central IT Services tab =>Secret Question for Portal PIN

4.3 I forgot my HKU Portal PIN (email password). How do I reset my Portal PIN by paper form?

If you forgot your HKU Portal PIN, you can reset your HKU Portal PIN by filling out the form CF-111 "Application for Change of HKU Portal PIN" at http://www.itservices.hku.hk/ccoffice/forms/cf111.pdf and return the completed form preferably in person to the Computer Centre General Office in Room 223, Run Run Shaw Building, or fax to 2540 2970 together with a copy of your student/staff card for identification.

4.4 How do I change my Network password?

Login HKU Portal => Campus Information Services => Central IT Services => Set Network Password

4.5 How do I change my Admin Systems (HKUAP) password?

To change the HKUAP password (at least once every 3 months), login the HKUAP system to change your password.

To change the Oracle Discoverer password (at least once every 6 months):-
Login HKU Portal => Campus Information Services => Central IT Services => Change Discoverer Password

If you forgot your HKUAP password, you can reset your password by completing the form CF-141 "Application for Change of Passwords for Administrative Computer Systems " at http://www.itservices.hku.hk/home/services/forms.htm#admin, or print and return the completed form to Computer Centre General Office at Room 223, Run Run Shaw Building.

If you have tried to login but failed several times, fill in CF-73 "System Security Report of Administration Systems" at http://www.itservices.hku.hk/home/services/forms.htm#admin, or print and return the completed form to Computer Centre General Office at Room 223, Run Run Shaw Building.

4.6 How do I change my graduate account password?

If a graduate email user forget the password, please refer to http://www.hku.hk/convocat/gradmail.htm

Our computer accounts are updated automatically (without human intervention) by the computer system based on staff/student records passed on to us from the Registry.  For staff, computer accounts are usually inactivated after a grace period of 100 days from the date when the staff status expires. For students, computer accounts are usually inactivated after a grace period of 31 days from the date when the student status expires. For graduating students who graduate in June or July, their computer accounts are extended to August 31.

All degree graduates of the University can have a free graduate email account after they have completed their graduation requirements.

If you continue to study or work in HKU, your computer account will automatically be re-activated after the Registry had updated your new staff/ student status in the system. If your computer account is disabled before the Registry can update your staff/student records, you may request for extension of computer account by filling out the form CF-150 "Request for Extension of HKU Portal Account" at http://www.itservices.hku.hk/home/services/forms.htm and return the completed form (endorsed by Head of Department/Dean) to the Computer Centre General Office in Room 223, Run Run Shaw Building, or fax to 2540 2970.

If your account is disabled by the Computer Centre because of network abuse or virus dissemination, you can try to enable your network card in the HKU Portal yourself as follows:

Login HKU Portal => Campus Information Services => Central IT Services => Restore Network Access

If you still cannot connect to the network after trying the above steps, send an email to abuse@hku.hk to enquire whether your network port was disabled or not.

• Your UID or PIN is wrong. To change your PIN, see Q.4
• Your account has been disabled due to password ageing, see Q0.
• Your account has been disabled because of computer abuse or you are spreading a computer virus.
• Your account has been inactivated because of termination of employment or studies at HKU.
• The server you are connecting to is down due to system failure or maintenance work.

Refer to the Computer Service Handbook for the disk quota of your account.

You can query your disk quota as follows:

Visit the Computer Centre web site left-hand side menu and click Account Utilities => Quota Enquiry => Disk Quota

You can apply for additional computer resources (e.g. additional disk space etc) by filling out the electronic CF-101a (for TOS-1 staff or equivalent staff) or form CF-101b (for student and Non-TOS-1 staff or equivalent staff) at http://www.itservices.hku.hk/home/services/forms.htm, or return the completed form to the Computer Centre General Office at Room 223, Run Run Shaw Building.

• Report to abuse@hku.hk.
• Change your password immediately.

• Read the CC Newsletter at  http://www.itservices.hku.hk/news/ccnews138/graduate-email2009.htm
• Apply for free graduate email account at  http://www.hku.hk/convocat/gradmail.htm
• See FAQs for graduates at http://www.itservices.hku.hk/faq/gradfaq.htm

Ask your department's SERVER administrator. Usually, there is a computer administrator (or departmental technician) in each department.

If there is no computer technician in your department, you can fill out the eletronic form CF-121 "Application for PC Server Account" at http://www.itservices.hku.hk/home/services/forms.htm, or print and return the completed form to Computer General Office at Room 223, Run Run Shaw Building.

Forms for Departmental accounts and other computer accounts can be found at http://www.itservices.hku.hk/home/services/forms.htm
e.g. CF-106 "Application for Departmental Computer Account"

Starting July 1 2004, all retiring staff accounts are provided with email service on an annual renewal basis. (The requirements of a retiree are defined in the HKU Staff Manual and they should receive a notice from the HKU Registry about their retiree status).

Previous retirees can fill out the form CF-145 "Application for Retiree HKUCC Email Account" at http://www.itservices.hku.hk/home/services/forms.htm and return the completed form to Computer Centre General Office at Room 223, Run Run Shaw Building.

Please note that HKU Portal PIN contains 8 characters only. Please try to login HKU Portal again by using the PIN with 8 characters. You can then access to the "MyEmail" tab in HKU Portal.