This process helps you set up your ESFiD for first use. it will also allow you to reset your password or unlock your ESF user account (ESFiD) whenever you need to do so. Before you can use your ESFiD, you need to set it up. The setup process asks for a password and security questions and records/stores your answers. This will allow you to setup and maintain your account in the future even if you have forgotten your password or if your account is ever locked out (due to, for example, too many incorrect log in attempts).

ESFiD Setup process:

STOP: Please make sure you setup/activate your SU NetID first at: https://selfserv.syr.edu.

After activating your SU NetID credentials, you can use the following link to login to the Microsoft portal using the ESFiD credentials you first established during your acceptance process to SUNY ESF, or with your default campus credentials as detailed below the link:

====> Click here to begin ESFiD setup <====

A student’s temporary default password is: ESF-XXXXXXXXX, where XXXXXXXXX is your 9-digit ID card number (without the dash).
For example if Joe ESF Student’s SU NetID is jestud34 and his ID number is 12345-6789, his initial portal login will be:

Username: jestud34@esf.edu
Password: ESF-123456789

After loggin in, you will be required to setup account recovery options. You need to complete at least 2 of the 3 password recovery methods presented and then confirm your settings to finish the process. That's it!

Once registered, you can change your ESFiD password or unlock your account, at any time from anywhere on any device at https://passwordreset.microsoftonline.com.

NOTE: Setting or resetting your password in the cloud affects all uses of the ESFiD. If you change your password, you will need to update it everywhere you use your ESFiD (e.g. on email account setup on phones/tablets and campus wireless connection profiles).

ESFiD password requirements are as follows:

• Passwords must be 14 characters or longer. Remember that longer passwords are better and we encourage the use of easy to remember phrases.
   
• Passwords should have three of the following 4 categories: upper case characters, lower case characters, numbers, and special characters.
   
• Example password: The monkey and the elephant in 2020
  Example password: TheM0nk3yE1eph4nt
   
• Please do not use your name in your password.

• Once set up is complete, you can access your ESF email via http://email.esf.edu or https://portal.office.com. Your official student email through SU email can be accessed through https://sumail.syr.edu. 
   
• The ESF Student portal (https://banner.esf.edu/StudentSelfService) uses only the ESFiD to log in. You cannot log into this new portal with your SU NetID (the username and password you use to access SU email and Blackboard).
   
• When logging in to the ESF Student portal (https://banner.esf.edu/StudentSelfService), please only use the username portion of your ESFiD and not username@esf.edu. Many ESF system require or allow username@esf.edu, such as ESF email or the ESF Evergreen wireless network, but the Student Portal does not.