Saturday, June 11, 2022

Password Woes

 Yesterday I had occasion to download something from the App store - I've been working with an OT to make things a little easier around here since my back problems have  left me with some mobility problems and she had suggested an app that could help. She found it on my phone and I put in my email address and then my password - and nothing happened. I tried again - and again.  Still nothing. Did I have the right password? Did I have the right case? she helpfully asked Well, yes to all her suggestions, but by now I had the distinct feeling that she was beginning to think I was some sort of idiot and had just stupidly forgotten it. 

We moved on to some other things and when she left I went back to trying to get it to work. Nope, not happening. I checked and everything else on the computer was working as it should. I even tried turning the whole thing off and on again. No change, nada, zilch. So I decided to click on the "Forgotten your password?" tab and change my password. Good idea you might think? Well, it would have been if I could get it to accept any of the passwords I tried. I'd enter them, click on continue - and nothing would happen. I tried multiple different variations and then things moved up a notch. I began getting a message which read "An unidentified error has occurred." This did not fill me with much hope but I pressed on trying one password after another. 

Then I got an email saying my password had been changed. Well, that wasn't much help, was it. Which of the twenty or more passwords I'd tried had it now decided to accept? I hadn't a clue. By now I had been trying to get this to work for close to four hours and my patience was wearing extremely thin so I muttered a few words my mother would definitely not have approved of, gritted my teeth and tried again - and it worked. I had to update my other devices - and it worked there, too.

I have no idea what caused the problem - I guess I never will - but this whole debacle proves what I've always said about computers - they're wonderful when they work.

2 comments:

David M. Gascoigne, said...

These machine can be frustrating at times, I don't think anyone would deny that, but our lives virtually depend on them now. Once you use a computer there is no turning back. I hope after all the time spent on this the app was helpful.

Helen V. said...

The computer has become ubiquitous I'm afraid, David, and for the most part they're fine but every now and then they let us down. I'm still exploring using the app but so far so good.