Here are some possible problems you may encounter while changing your password or establishing your account in the IAM portal (powered by Bravura).
If your university managed Windows computer notifies you that your password has expired and prompts you to change it, the new password you create will only apply to your local computer—not your university accounts.
If you have changed you password with the windows prompt you will also need to update your university password here: iam.appstate.edu.
If you get in successfully, you will need to perform your first time sign in actions (document approval, security questions, and Duo registration). When you get to the password change form, use a new, unique password to ensure there isn't further confusion.
Finally, you need to sync your computer to your university update. Follow the instructions under the Can't sign in to my computer after changing my password in IAM to synchronize your device to the university password.
There is a bug some iPhone users are experiencing when signing in to iam.appstate.edu. The default Duo Multi-Factor Authentication option fails to function. Instead of using the default option, click the drop down menu and select the Duo method from there - even if it is the same as your default. Click Continue and you should get your 2FA prompt. If not, contact the Help Desk.
The questions "First car year" or "Favorite number" forced answers under the five character minimum. The resultant confusion led to their removal. If your chose those questions on initial setup, it would put you under the four question requirement. Choose a new pre-determined question to replace it and you will be able to use them as an alternate sign in again.
If you are an employee with administrative options in Banner, you may be trying to reuse an old password. The Banner database remembers years of previous passwords and will return an conflict error. You will need to change your password again, with something truly unique, to ensure it cascades successfully through all systems.
The first time anyone signs in to iam.appstate.edu, they are required to initialize their account. That includes:
If you have previously signed in the IAM site, you can change your password by clicking on the Change passwords link under the MY PROFILE section.
If you need further help, please contact Support at 828-262-6266.
This occurs because you previously signed in to Appalachian State. If you ever held a temporary position or applied to Appalachian State before 2025, your account may have been sitting unused until your return. Since this account isn't flagged as "new", IAM doesn't take you through the first time user process nor does it permit self-help alternate authentication. You will need to contact the Help Desk at 828-262-6266, verify your identity, and receive a One Time Passcode (OTP).
If you were signed in to WebFocus prior to your password change, your browser may be caching your last sign in session. To correct this problem either:
Performing either of these steps should give you a fresh session and access to WebFocus with your new password.
Yes it did. Long standing App State employees sometimes have their App State email address as their personal email address. Fortunately, you can prevent it in the future by going to your Banner Self Service page and updating your Account Recover Email address. Granted, this won't help you if you can't get into your account so call the Help Desk at 828-262-6266 for an alternate authentication method. After you change your password, head over and change that Account Recover Email address!
This issue is not caused by the IAM system, it’s related to Virtual Private Network (VPN) and Active Directory not syncing properly, especially when working remotely. To regain access to your computer, refer to the guide "Cannot log into Computer after password change".
If you want to prevent this from happening on future changes, you can replicate the sign-in process above like so:
If you have returned to the university after an absence, sometimes your sign-in account has an ID mismatch in LDAP (pronounced 'ell dap'). This can only be fixed by calling the Help Desk, 828-262-6266.
The IAM Portal doesn't allow you to use a password more than once but it has to know what passwords you previously used. Since the IAM portal is new, your previous password list is blank. Any previous passwords you enter now will get you through the checks. That said, the systems you connect to with that password may have issues its reuse. In this case, when your current password is sent to other systems, they instantly deny the reuse.
Resetting your password with something truly unique will fix the problem.
You need to sign in to your personal account to change your generic/nonhuman account password. Go to our Update Nonhuman/Generic Account Passwords page for more information.
The IAM portal tracks first-time password changes internally. It is not aware of your activity before it was established. This process helps ensure that new students and employees have completed their initial account setup. When you try to change your generic account password, the system will check that your personal account has been updated as well.
You will need to change your personal password once before updating your generic account(s). Your personal password should not need to be changed until its next expiration, one year later. Future updates to generic (nonhuman) accounts should no longer prompt you to change your personal password.
If you sign in with your username and are only offered a password link, it likely means the following:
If your account has expired, no previous password will work. In either case, you will need to contact the Help Desk at 828-262-6266. They will supply you with a One-Time Password (OTP) to give you access. Once in, you can register your account and change your password.
Rarely a problem occurs in the IAM platform that won't let you click the password update link. After entering your security questions and registering your Duo account, you will be prompted to continue, but the link won't do anything. This is admittedly very frustrating. Usually, clicking the home icon 
will allow you to click the password change link successfully. If this doesn't work, you will need to return to the site with a fresh session. This means you need to return to the site AFTER:
Do one of the above steps, return to iam.appstate.edu, and when it prompts you to change your password, the link should work. Contact the Help Desk if you continue to encounter problems.
IAM's administrative rights to update your account may duplicate the rights you have as that system's administrator. Should that happen, the account update may be prohibited.
Currently, we only have one instance of this problem. If you have a Google administrator account, your password change on that system will fail. Fortunately, Google authentication is handled by our single sign-on system, so this is not an issue. As more systems interact with the IAM system, this may change.
This advice is a little simpler than the "turn it off and back on again." Close all the windows in your browser and try again. Alternately, try a different browser or use an incognito window. There is a chance your browser is caching page information that has changed since you last visited. Getting a fresh page view with a new sign in can sometimes fix these problems. If not, check the App State Status page or call the Help Desk.
Password updates in the IAM portal are a recent implementation, so we are still learning. We will update this page as our interactions with other systems grow.
Should you experience problems, contact the Help Desk at 828-262-6266. If you have technical information concerning system interactions, you can also email the IAM team at identitymanagement@appstate.edu.