If you did not set a logon password when you created an Elastic Compute Service (ECS) instance or if you forget the logon password of an instance, you must use the password reset feature to set a logon password for the instance. This topic describes how to reset the logon password of an ECS instance in the ECS console.

Prerequisites

The ECS instance whose logon password you want to reset is in a stable state, such as the Stopped or Running state. For more information about stable instance states, see Instance lifecycle.

Background information

This topic focuses on how to reset the logon password of an ECS instance in the ECS console. You can also use Cloud Assistant to reset the logon password of an ECS instance, or connect to an ECS instance and reset its logon password. The following table compares the different methods to reset the logon password of an ECS instance.
Method Description References
Reset the logon password of an ECS instance in the ECS console
  • The instance must be in the Running or Stopped state.
  • You do not need to log on to the instance.
  • After you reset the password, you must restart the instance for the new password to take effect. This may affect the state of the business that is running on the instance.
This topic
Use Cloud Assistant to reset the logon password of an ECS instance
  • The instance must be in the Running state.
  • You do not need to log on to the instance.
  • After you reset the password, you do not need to restart the instance for the new password to take effect.
Change the logon password of an instance
Connect to the instance and reset its logon password
  • The instance must be in the Running state.
  • You must connect to the instance. The procedure to connect to an instance is complex.
  • After you reset the password, you do not need to restart the instance for the new password to take effect.
Change the logon password of an instance by connecting to the instance

Considerations

When you reset the logon password of an ECS instance in the ECS console, take note of the following items:

  • Select a proper time to reset the logon password. If the instance is in the Running state, you must restart the instance after the logon password is reset for the new password to take effect. The instance restart may affect your business. We recommend that you reset the password during off-peak hours to minimize the impact on business.
  • The key pair authentication method overrides the username and password authentication method. Linux instances can be logged on to by using key pairs or by using usernames and passwords. If you bind a key pair to a Linux instance that already has a logon password, the password becomes invalid and you can only use the key pair to log on to the instance. If you want to use a password to log on to the Linux instance, you must reset the logon password.

Procedure

  1. Log on to the ECS console.
  2. In the left-side navigation pane, choose Instances & Images > Instances.
  3. In the top navigation bar, select a region.
  4. Perform one of the following operations based on the number of instances whose logon passwords you want to reset at a time:
    • To reset the logon password of a single instance at a time, find the instance and choose More > Password/Key Pair > Reset Password in the Actions column. Reset the password of a single instance
    • To reset the password of multiple instances at a time, select the instances and click Reset Password below the instance list. Reset the password of multiple instances at a time
  5. In the Reset Password dialog box, enter and confirm a new valid password and then click OK.
    The entered password must be 8 to 30 characters in length and contain at least three of the following character types:
    • Uppercase letters
    • Lowercase letters
    • Digits
    • Special characters. The supported special characters include ( ) ` ~ ! @ # $ % ^ & * - _ + = | { } [ ] : ; ' < > , . ? /
    Note For Windows instances, logon passwords cannot start with a forward slash (/).
    At this point, the logon password is reset. Then, you must start or restart the instance for the new password to take effect.
  6. Perform one of the following operations based on the instance state for the new password to take effect:
    • If the instance is in the Running state, click Restart Now.
    • If the instance is in the Stopped state, click Cancel. When you manually start the instance, the new password takes effect immediately.