h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

i'm just starting out and i'm having difficulties. first, about a week ago, i tried registering with my email address. it didn't work. now i'm on a different computer registering with a different address. i want to change my address to the original (cause thats the cpu i'll be using) but it wont let me cause it says someone is using that address. i want to be able to log on with my other cpu but it also won't let me change my password (i might just be doing this part wrong)...its making me insane.

Hi, i'm pretty new too.

you can only log on with your original address from the computer you started with (cookies), unless you used a password. You can log on from any computer if you use the current address and it has a password. Passwords are changed using 'my details' at the left of your page. If you need REAL help, post your question at the 'don't panic' forum. good luck.

Hullo, insane genius. Sorry it took me so long to reply; this is the first time I've been online today.

Let's see. I don't use a password myself (since I use my home computer, and I'm the only one who uses this computer). So I checked out the "my details", and changed my pre-assigned password to see how it works. What you need to do is go to "My details" and overtype the existing password with the one you want, then enter it again in the second field to confirm your password. When you hit "update" it accepts (or should accept ) the new password. If you hit "sign out" then you'll need to re-enter your e-mail address and password the next time you try to post something (you can do this by hitting the "register" link, and from there you'll get a choice of signing up as a new member or entering as an existing member). At this point, you can click the box so that H2G2 will always recognize you if you sign on from the same computer (it does this by sending a cookie to your browser.)

As for the e-mail address problem.... you say your original attempt to register did not work. What happened that time? It sounds to me like the server saved your e-mail address that you used that time (even though the registration didn't work), so now when you try to use it again, it reads that it's already on file, so it won't accept it.

Are you the only person who uses that e-mail address, or do you share it with someone else?

Perhaps your original attempt to register was successful, and there was a technical problem, so you thought it didn't work? Did you get a welcome e-mail at the time? If so, you can sign on using that user name and change the e-mail address on the unwanted account to one you don't use, and then your real e-mail address should be free to use with the new account.

Sorry if I haven't been much help. If none of this works, please let me know and I'll ask around to some of the more tech-savvy ACE's. And if you DO have two accounts and don't realize it, we may be able to get Peta (one of the Powers That Be) to combine the info from the two accounts for you.

Let me know how it goes.

bp

well, i checked my email and i didn't get a reply. i think it might have registered me otherwise though. my password problem is striaghtend out and all i have to do is change the address. if i can't, its not THAT big of a deal but i won't be able to recieve any mail at that address. thanks for the help though.

Hmmm. The e-mail thing could be a problem further down the road. Say, if you submit a guide entry for approval, or you apply to be an ACE. You'll want to be able to get mail to your correct address.

Try this. If you click on "Search the guide" at the top of any page, you can reach a screen where you can search for a researcher by e-mail address. Try typing in the address you want to use; that may bring you to your first less-than-successful researcher page, or at least let you know who's using your address!!

If it does bring you to a screen with "researcher U10xxxx" we may be able to find a way to update the info on that page so you can get your e-mail address back. You may be able to do this by copying the address for that user ## and then retrieving it using the computer you originally signed up with, which should then recognize you since it will have sent your browser a cookie. And if it recognizes you, then it should give you the "my details" button to update the info with.

Best of luck.