User Account Frequently Asked Questions

User Access Questions

What are the Inactive and Disabled statuses on user accounts?

To improve the security of the portals, users who do not log in regularly will have their accounts inactivated, and eventually disabled if no actions are taken to reactivate the accounts. It can be challenging for Site Administrators to track and manage users and user accounts to ensure everyone who has access should still have access to the portal. 

• Inactive Accounts – If a user does not log in for more than 90 days, their portal account will become inactive. The next time they log in, they will have the option to reactivate their own account. They will receive an email to the address associated with the account with a reactivation link unique to that user. This step verifies that the user still has access to the email account they used to join the portal and to the same login service provider previously used to link to the portal.
• Disabled Accounts – If a user does not log in for more than 2 years (730 days), their portal account will become disabled. They will have to contact the Site Administrator to reactivate the account.

Refer to User Account Status for more information.

What do I do if a user reports getting an "Access Denied" message and Login Warning?

There are several reasons a user could get an access denied message when they log into a portal. In most cases, the error page should include a login warning message to help determine the reason.

Warning 1: You are currently logged in as <username> via <login service name>, however there is not an active account with that login on this portal. If you received a portal registration email from your site administrator, be sure you completed Step 2 to link your account to the portal.

Either the user does not yet have an account on the portal, or they have not completed Step 2 of the registration process to link their login service account to the portal. To help the user: 

1. The Site Administrator should go to the Users page.
2. Search for the user's account.
3. If the account reads "(This account is not linked)..." next to the user's name, they did not complete Step 2.
   
   • Send a new registration email to the user by checking the Re-register checkbox and clicking Apply changes.
   • Direct the user to complete Step 2 in the email.
4. If no such account exists, follow the steps to add a new user.

Warning 2: Your account has been locked due to inactivity for security reasons.
Reactivate my account

If a user has not logged into a portal for more than 90 days, their account will be inactivated. They can follow the Reactivate my account link to activate their account on their own. Refer to User Account Status for more information.

Warning 3: Your account has been disabled. Contact the site administrator to request help.

If a user has not logged into a portal for more than 2 years (730 days), their account will be disabled. The Site Administrator can reactivate a disabled account from the Users page. Refer to User Account Status for more information.

New Account/Registration Questions

What is Login.gov Login Service?

The Login.gov login service is a Single Sign-On (SSO) service that allows researchers outside of the IMS and NIH networks to access shared applications and websites. NIH and IMS employees are encouraged to use their network login accounts to access the portals. New users are instructed to use Login.gov if they do not have an NIH or IMS Employee account.

The main benefit of SSO is that a person can use the same username and password to log in to any portals they are a member of. SSO eliminates the need for users to remember and maintain multiple accounts.

When you are registered to a specific portal or website, you will receive a registration email like the one below. If you do not have an NIH Network Login or an IMS Employee Login account, but you have a Login.gov account, you can proceed to Step 2 to link your Login.gov account to the portal. Otherwise, you must use the link in Step 1 to register for a Login.gov account before you can complete Step 2.

How do I link an account?

Before you can log in to a portal, your portal account must be linked/connected to your preferred login service. When a Site Administrator registers you to a portal, you’ll receive a registration email (see image above). If you already have an account in one of the listed login services (Login.gov, NIH Network, or IMS Employee), you can connect your respective account to the new portal by clicking the link in Step 2 of the registration email. You have 7 days to complete Step 2 before the link expires.

If the user registration link expires, how do I send another email to the user?

The Site Administrator can use the Re-register checkbox on the Users page to send another registration email to the user, with a new expiration date/time and instructions to link an account to a portal.

How do I reset the number of days until account removal?

When a new user is added to a portal, if they do not complete their registration and link their login service account to the portal within 30 days, the portal account will be removed. This cleans up unused user profiles and improves the security of the portals. See the topic Reset the Number of Days until Account Removal for instructions.

I got an "Error linking your account" page?  What is it and what do I do?

The link in Step 2 of the portal registration email may return the Error linking your account message if:

1. The link is expired (the email provides an expiration date).
   • Contact the Site Administrator to reissue a new registration email with a new link.
2. The link was incorrectly copied and pasted from the registration email to a browser.
   • Verify that you copied and pasted the entire URL and that it matches the one in the email. Clicking the link in Step 2 of the email is the best option, unless that is not possible.
3. The link has already been used to link to a different account.
   • Each registration email is unique to the person receiving it. If someone shared their registration email, contact the Site Administrator to create a new portal account.

How can a user change which login service they use to access a portal?

If a user wishes to switch their login service provider (e.g., from NIH Network Login to Login.gov), use the Re-register feature to send a new registration email to the user. The registration email can be sent to a different email address than the one currently associated with the user account.

The user can click the link in Step 2 of the registration email, select the preferred login account type, and sign in. The previous account details will be updated with the information received from the new login service provider.

Use this feature when a user has switched organizations but wishes to keep their original portal account, or if a user accidentally linked the wrong login account to a portal.