Although BC will now allow you to create a password that is greater than 8 characters, the standard Apple User Authentication Module that is built into the Macintosh Operating System will not accept a password that is longer than 8 characters when connecting to a Windows server on the Local Area Network.
Note: The BC password you create is used for accessing BC services like email, servers, Agora, and more - it is not the password you use to actually log in to your Macintosh computer. The computer log in password on your Macintosh is selected by you within the Mac Control Panels and only resides on the computer - it is not managed by BC at all.
Macintosh users have two options:
- Select a BC password that is only 8 characters.
- Or, if you want to take advantage of the ability to have a longer BC password, install the Microsoft User Authentication Module (UAM) on your Macintosh computer. Use the links at the bottom of this page to install Microsoft UAM now.
There are two advantages to installing the Microsoft UAM - 1) It will allow Macintosh users to use a password greater than 8 characters long 2) and it provides password encryption when logging into a Windows Server. The standard Apple UAM provides only minimal encryption (if any) so your password could easily be intercepted on the Local Area Network or Internet.
Macintosh users are not required to use the Microsoft UAM, but if you would like to set your BC password to one that is longer than 8 characters, you will need to install the Microsoft UAM to connect to Windows servers on the Boston College network. If you choose to use Microsoft UAM, you will need to download it on any Macintosh you use in your office or at home. The Technology Consultants will be installing Microsoft UAM on classroom and lab computers.
Click on the icon that corresponds to you operating system, either Mac OS X or Mac 8.5 – 9.2 to download and install the appropriate version of the Microsoft UAM.
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