I receive the error message ‘The email or username you entered does not exist. Please check that you have typed your email or username correctly.’
In some cases, your email address is different from what is known as your User Principal Name, a.k.a. UPN. If you are receiving the above error message and you are certain you are spelling correctly enter your UPN as shown below.
Your UPN follows the format of Username + @ + samuelmerritt.edu
UPN and email address alignment are so common that the Microsoft SSPR portal even defaults to this text: ‘Email or Username’.
Reasons can vary why this might not be in alignment for individual users at Samuel Merritt University. Among these are the addition of a new Reply To address due to name change request through the IT Department. It would be easy to interpret email address as the new address we added to your account due to a name change request.
For this reason, we introduce the term user principal name and recommend that your information is entered in SSPR follows the format shown above.
How do I know which verification methods are enabled for my account? Can I change them?
You can access this information in different ways. An easy method would be to log into the mySMU portal and access Webmail. You may have added this under your bookmarks in the mySMU portal. If you do not have a bookmark, search the catalog for webmail:
This is also located under the Communications category in the portal:
When logged into your O365 mailbox you can access the settings by launching Account Manager – Click your Username Icon on the top right corner of the toolbar and click View account:
View Account takes you the MyAccount portal. Click Security Info to validate or update your verification methods:
From here you can add, update, set the default, or remove methods used for your account.
Example – Two methods are enabled: Phone, and email:
Default method is currently Phone call
Clicking the Change link, I can change from an automated call to text message:
Clicking Confirm updates the default method:
Click Add Method for additional options. Adding the Microsoft Authenticator App as a method is highly recommended as this is also supported for combined registration with 2 Factor authentication (MFA) and is the most flexible. Microsoft Documentation on how to set up the Microsoft Authenticator App can be located here:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/user-help/security-info-setup-auth-app
Is there another way to get into my account settings besides Webmail?
This shortcut is available in most of the O365 applications as well using the same method. You can also browse to: https://myprofile.microsoft.com and log on using the same methods as SSPR.
I do not remember providing these authorization methods. How did they get there?
Students have methods pre-populated to their account properties based on information provided from the ticketing system obtained during the registration process. Faculty and Staff already have a method enabled via Multi-Factor Authentication. We encourage users to validate their verification methods. Automated email reminders are sent every 180 days.
I logged into my SMU email account and I received the prompt 'More Information Required'
Samuel Merritt University requires Multifactor Authentication (MFA) to access all Office 365 applications. The first time you attempt to access any Office 365 resource, e.g., your Webmail, you will receive a prompt to supply more information in order to properly set up MFA on your Samuel Merritt account. View instructions on initial setup MFA and SSPR.