Author: Melissa Sanchez
Melissa is a student employee with Technology Services and is a senior at Illinois majoring in Communications.

As the semester starts ramping up, many students are going to be experiencing a wide range of common technological issues that will put a damper on this exciting new year. Luckily, here at Illinois, we have many help desks to lighten the load and work through just about any software issue students may encounter. Technology Services has two help desks, one in the Union, room 187, and the other in the Digital Computer Lab, room 1211. More information can be found at the help desk website.
However, many common start-of-the-semester issues are an easy fix. In this article, we will be listing some solutions for three of the most common issues at the start of the semester; if the issue you are having is not here, or you want a more in-depth explanation, visit the Technology Services Help Desk KnowledgeBase to see articles explaining many different software problems and showing how you can fix them.
1. My multi-factor authentication device is not working, and I can’t receive a code or a text message. What do I do?
You can request a temporary passcode to log in without your device. Visit the NetID center and select the yellow button labeled “temporary passcode.” There are two options, one if you have access to your device and one if you don’t. You will need to log in with your NetID for both and if you have your device the code will be sent there; if you don’t, it will be sent to your email.
The code is effective for three days or100 uses. If you would prefer, you can visit the Help Desk to be given a bypass code instead. For more information, visit the KnowledgeBase page on MFA troubleshooting.
2. I changed my NetID password, but now I’m getting an error message when I try to log in. What do I do?
It can take a while for password changes to sync up, so sometimes waiting around 15 minutes and trying again will allow you to log in. If the error message is still there after waiting, try clearing your browser’s cache and cookies. Visit the KnowledgeBase page on clearing your cookies for instructions on how to clear your cache.
If this still does not work, you may have been locked out of your account and should contact or visit a Tech Services Help Desk for further assistance.
3. I am seeing an error message when trying to login to my email/Canvas/Self-Service etc. What do I do?
If you are seeing “Shibboleth has encountered an error,” there are a few steps you should take.
- First, if you use a bookmark to visit the page, try opening the page through a different link, as bookmarks can sometimes cause this issue.
- Second, make sure your browser is not blocking all cookies as this can interfere with a NetID login.
- Third, try restarting your browser completely.
If these steps do not work, try clearing your cache and cookies or logging in on an incognito browser. If this still does not work, you should contact or visit a Help Desk for further assistance.
Tech Services Help Desk info
If all else fails, visit the Tech Services Help Desk:
- Illini Union room 187
- DCL room 1211
You can also submit a ticket online or visit the Help Desk website to learn more.