Last week I shared a story about an ACT! user who thought he had a major problem which turned out to have a rather easy, if not silly, answer.
My second story involves an ACT! user who could not open his ACT! database; he kept receiving an error asking him to verify his user name and password. He insisted that he “did not have a password” and that ACT! “must have just stuck one in there.” Hmmm. He further went on to explain that he had created a second database recently and he could log in to that one successfully. When I asked him what the user name and password were for that database he replied that he didn’t know because the “Remember Password” box was checked. Double hmmmm.
I suggested that he try logging into the first database and not use a password. He tried without success. I then noticed that the signature on his e-mail included his middle initial so I suggested that he try logging in with different variations of his name including “John Doe,” “John S Doe”, and” John S. Doe” all with the password blank, and if that didn’t work to try the three variations of his name with a password.
The user called me back several days later. He was finally able to log into the first database and not the second one. When I asked him which combination of user name and password worked he told me that he had written it down in ACT! – which he now couldn’t open because he had once again checked the “Remember Password” box.
At this point I suggested that he send both databases to us for password recovery. The solution? His original database included his middle initial in his user name and did not have a password. The newer database did not include his middle initial but had a password.
Moral of the story? On an average I am contacted once a week by ACT! users who have lost and/or forgotten their user name and/or password. And yes, Tech Benders offers an ACT! Password Recovery Service (that will be $100, please). However, if you are consistent with both your naming conventions (i.e., don’t include that middle initial) you hopefully won’t have to take us up on that service. And please, don’t store your password in ACT!!
