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 Incorrect Username or Password Error Guide
Back to Common Logging In Errors and Problems

Remember, you cannot log in to WebCT or access your class until your class has started.
If you do you might get this error.
Just because you have completed the Online Orientation does not mean you can log in to WebCT or access your class in WebCT if your class has not yet started.

This is the most common WebCT error that students get. First, if you are in doubt about your WebCT ID or password, read about Common Problems 2 and 3 from the Common Problems and Errors Table.  If you are certain of your WebCT ID and password, and none of the following causes for this error applies to you, the quickest way to eliminate this error or work around it is to switch to a different web browser, such as Firefox or Netscape until you can get the problem in your current browser solved.

Following are the most common causes and fixes for this error:
Caused by Timing
 Caused by User
 Caused by Browser
You are attempting to log in to your course before the first day of class.  You are typing in an incorrect ID (Copy&Paste Problem)
 You need to clear your cookies and cache
You added your class on or after the first day of class You are typing in the wrong password
 Switch Web Browsers
You are typing in your password from a past semester. You forgot your password/
Need your password reset
 Your Web Browser is "remembering"
the wrong pasword/username.
You already created your own password on this server during this term. You are logging in to the wrong server.


Your enrollment did not go through/
You are not enrolled/
Your class is not an Internet Delivered DE class







































You are attempting to log in to your course before the first day of class.  Back to Top
Please wait until the first day of class.  Check your schedule for you the official start date of your class.  This is not the same date as the Online Orientation start date.


You are typing in an incorrect ID/User name.   Back to Top
Whether your course uses WebCT or Blackboard Vista, your ID is the same.  It is the same HCC User ID that you use to log in to Online Registration. [For example: W0234567].  You must capitalize the "W".
Go here to retrieve your HCC User ID, or here for help if you can't retrieve your HCC User ID.  

Another common reason for this error, other than an obvious "typo", is what can happen when you copy the W-number from PeopleSoft and paste it to the Username field in Blackbaord. This can at times carry over a hidden space after the last number. Check that you do not have a space after your W-number.

You are typing in the wrong password, you forgot your password and/or your account needs a password reset.  Back to Top
Remember to type "distance" in lowercase if you are logging in for the first time this semester. Passwords almost never carry over from a previous semester. 

The passwords for either course-delivery platform are independent of each other as well as independent of the password that you use for Online Registration. However, you can set them all to match for ease of use.

Next, you will be required to change your password.  Passwords are case sensitive.  So whatever password you create, you need to be aware of which characters are upper case and which are lower case.  If you created a password such as Lucky67, and you are trying to log in using lucky67, it will not work.  If you are certain that you are typing your password correctly, try deleting your cookies and browser cache or temporary internet files.  You can also try logging in with a second browser.  This is an example of when it is helpful to not rely solely on Internet Explorer.  Try a different web browser like Firefox if you get stuck.

Remember that if your browser is storing the password from a previous semester, that password will not work at the beginning of the new semester, so you need to type it in manually, over the field.


You registered late (on or after the first day of class) OR added your Distance Education class late (on or after the first day of class) Back to Top
    Your student account may not yet have been created on the class server.  Please wait for WebCT or Blackboard Vista to be updated.  You may not be able to log in until the next day if you registered     late in the afternoon or in the evening.  If it's late in the term and you have been reinstated into a class after being dropped, it's a good idea to email us to let us know. 

You are typing in your password from a past semester.  Back to Top
        In almost all cases, your password will be reset to distance at the beginning of each semester, so your old password will not work.

You already created your own password on this server during this term.  Back to Top
Perhaps you are trying to log in to your Second Start class on the "DE 6" WebCT Server. But you are already taking a Regular Term class which is hosted on this server.  This means you will already have changed your password from distance to something else, so distance will not work.  Use your current password.  This issue might also arise if are taking a Hybrid course at Eastside Campus or Coleman that is hosted on this server and you already logged into it for the first time and created your own password. Be aware of the address of the WebCT server that you are using to avoid this error.

You are logging in to the wrong class server.  Back to Top
If it's a Distance Education class,  use our DE Course Listings page to locate the right entry page for your course.  HCC is in the middle of a transition from WebCT Campus Edition to Blackboard Vista.  Until we complete the transition, some courses will be delivered via the former, and others via the latter. Some computer science courses do not use either.  Our page will take you to the correct entry page for each course. It is vital that you read your instructor's Online Orientation, however, to be sure you have the latest information.   It is also possible that yours is not a Distance Education class at all, but a "Hybrid Class" which is hosted on a different server than your DE classes.   If your class is in fact a Hybrid Class, which is a web-enhanced class that meets weekly in a traditional classroom, then you will need to acScess it on that campus's server and follow your instructor's directions. You can go to http://webct.hccs.edu/ to find the correct class server for your Hybrid Class based on campus. 

Your enrollment did not go through OR You are not enrolled OR You have been dropped. Back to Top
A student account on our servers may not get created for you until your enrollment gets fixed.  Sometimes students think they have a registered for an internet delivered Distance Education class, only to realize that in fact, they have not. Sometimes, a class that you thought you were enrolled in does not "make" and gets cancelled, in which case you may have been moved to a different section.  Other times, this is a non-payment issue. Please check your schedule to make sure you are enrolled in the section that you thought you were enrolled in. 

You also need to confirm whether your class is a Distance Education class or a Hybrid class.  A Hybrid class will have regular weekly class meetings, whereas a Distance Education class will not, unless it is for a weekly lab.  If you need assistance accessing your HCC Student Account online, please contact the Help Desk at 713-718-8800. (If you were purged because of a payment issue, you will need to re-register.  Contact any Cashier's Office if you are having difficulties making payments online.  If you suspect a Financial Aid or scholarship issue, please visit the appropriate Financial Aid Office.  You may find their FAQs page helpful.

If a student does not keep up with his/her class, the instructor may remove you from the class.  The Distance Education Department  may in turn, delete your WebCT account if you are no longer in the roster and it is your only class on our server.  Again, check your schedule to confirm your enrollment.  If you get reinstated and you can't log in at all, give us time to re-instate you into WebCT. Your password will be "distance" again--unless your WebCT account was preserved, in which case, you can use the password you had already created during the semester.

You need to clear your cookies and cache on your web browser.  Back to Top
Sometimes you are doing everything right and you are not even trying to log in for the first time.  You have logged in several times already this semester on this server.  Your browser cookies may be at fault.  (Again, being able to quickly switch to a different browser will be very helpful and even mandatory here, in case even clearing the cookies does not clear up the problem). If you're web browser is filling in your WebCT ID or password field, be sure to type over them, even if it's the same information. Sometimes this corrects the problem.  It's worthwhile to mention that most of the time, the student feels sure that they are typing in the correct information, but it turns out that they were not. 

In Internet Explorer 6's menus, go to Tools>Internet Options and select the General tab.  Find the section "Temporary Internet Files" and click on "Delete Cookies" and "Delete Files". 

In Internet Explorer 7's menus, go to Tools>Internet Options and select the General tab.  Click on the Delete button for "Browsing History"Now you can click on the buttons: Delete Files and Delete Cookies.

In Netscape 7, go to Edit>Preferences and select Advanced.  From there, select Cache and click on "Clear Cache."  To clear cookies in Netscape/Mozilla, go to Edit>Preferences and select Cookies.  From there, click on "Cookie Manager" and select "Remove All", or alternately, you can scroll down the list for "de6.hccs.edu" and delete just that one.

In Netscape 8, go to Tools>Options>Privacy to clear cookies and cache.

In Firefox, go to Tools>Options>Privacy and select the Cookies and Cache tabs one at a time.

In Firefox for the Mac, go to Firefox>Preferences>Privacy.

In Safari, simply use the Safari menu and select Empty Cache. To clear cookies, from Safari's menus, go to Safari>Preferences.  Select "Security" and from there, "Show Cookies".

If your browser is not covered, simply look for this information in the Help menu of your browser.

If you still can't log in, even with a second browser, or if you simply forgot your password, you need us to reset your password.  Email us at desupport@hccs.edu with your name and your student ID number or SSN, or call 713-718-718-4444.  Early in the semester, it is highly recommended that you email for this issue so that we may more easily access your request, due to the very high volume of calls.

Try a different Web Browser  Back to Top
If you are certain of your WebCT ID and password, and none of the other causes for this error applies to you, the quickest way to eliminate this error or work around it is to switch to a different web browser, such as Firefox or Netscape.  It's always a good idea to have more than one web browser at your disposal. 

Your Web Browser is "remembering" an old or a wrong password/username.  Back to Top
If your web browser "remembered" your WebCT password from a past semester, be sure to type over the asterisks in the Password field when a new semester begins.  After you type in "distance", it's not a good idea to have your web browser "remember" it, since you will soon need to change it from distance.
Back to Common Logging In Errors and Problems





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