Why am I locked out of FamilySearch?

cacoethes scribendi

On August 19 I tried to open my FamilySearch account for further research on a family name, only to see the message that I was locked out. I tried the "reset password and user name option" which worked until I closed, or left and the program went into the "sleep mode". When I clicked to start up again - I was locked out again. After several "reset password & user name", I called FamilyHistorySupport and all the support person could do was send me an e-mail "reset password and user name option". I have contacted FamilyHistorySupport and was told to use the community.familysearch.org - so that is what I am doing. /s/gladys boice tolbert

AmericanLady1953

Thank you for contacting FamilySearch. You mention that you are locked out of your account. Have you cleared your cookies and cached files lately? To do so, click Control+Shift+Delete, choose cookies and cached files. Clear data. Then close the window and refresh the screen. You may need to change browsers for a while, or shut down the computer for 5 minutes.

We wish you the best.

lstolk36

Thank you for contacting us at FamilySearch.

Often when we put an incorrect user name or password this happens.

Please review this article

https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/my-account-is-locked

Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

Thank you for using this wonderful website.

cacoethes scribendi

There was no incorrect user name or password used. Even when I used the "change user name and password" , and "used" the suggested security password, when I went to re-enter the security password, I would get the "incorrect". Repeated attempts and re-entering the security code and having someone read the security password as I keyed in, brought "incorrect". The lock out seems to be connected to my e-mail address as I can [as of yesterday, Sunday] open FamilySearch with my LDS account, using my membership #.

Sanra

Hi caciethes scribendi,

Has everything been fixed with your account now? You may wish to check your Settings, and make sure the email address is accurate.

We are all locked out for about 10 minutes after trying 3 times to sign in. It can be very frustrating.

Hope signing into Family Tree goes smoothly now.

cacoethes scribendi

I am still locked out and the only way I can access familysearch is by signing in with my LDS Account, using my church record number. I am locked out of my LDS account if I try to use my e-mail address. My e-mail address is correct [or else I would not have gotten this message]

Sanra

@cacidethes scribendi

If you are still experiences the inability to sign in through FamilySearch directly, please call 1-866-406-1830 and be connected to the account department.

cacoethes scribendi

I tried that! While I did call the number, I did not specify the account department. I was just sent an e-mail concerning changing my password or user name, and to contact the FamilySearch Community.

Since my lock out seems connected to my e-mail address - I suspect that my lock out is due to a non-member person confronting me about some of the [very well sourced] data I contributed and told me that I needed to learn coding if I was going to use FamilySearch, that my using the "search records" as I was, "messed up the search algorithims" and "that using ancestry would better suit my purposes" As data contributions went along, this same person told me that "you LDS people don't want to know the truth" - this person believes the data on FamilySearch and in particular our mutual line is wrong, and this person has the right data. This person is changing the place names on the IGI source citations for our line - i.e, if the person was born in Elizabethtown, Leeds, Canada West in 1855 - this person, I suppose by using "coding" changes it to the 2001 place name change when several townships were combined and is now Elizabethtown-Kitley, Leeds, Ontario, Canada and the same with the several townships now making up South Frontenac township changed in 1998. Any province name before 1867 does not exist - although this person now seems to pick and choose what he/she changes - a birth place will be changed to the present name [even though it was the year 1791], but leave the christening event data as it was at the time of christening. This person will change a spouses vital record data and place name, but not the other spouse's data - although born,living,marrying, dying same place. I gave up trying to understand why I am locked out - and just sign in with my LDS account. The temple work is done for the most of the line and I am hopeful that whatever changes this person makes to those individuals who are "temple shared" that those ordinances will happen. /s/ cacoethes scribindi

Sanra

@cacoethes scribendi

How very frustrating to have another user make the changes you describe. Have you tried sending a message to this other user, and kindly let them know why the place names should be listed? The article link below may help with that.

https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/how-do-i-contact-or-message-a-user-who-contributed-to-family-tree-or-memories

It might be helpful to add such things as a Life sketch, notes, or comments to try to prevent the changes. Look below:

 https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/how-can-i-prevent-other-people-from-making-inaccurate-changes-to-family-tree

The account department can help, if you ask the answering agent to connect you.

Wishing you continuing success in your work on Family Tree.

CDBurk

HI @cacoethes scribendi.

We notice that you have been concerned that your were "locked out" of your account. You indicated that you had tried to sign into your account at the FamilySearch.org website, but were unable to do so until you clicked the button on the sign-in page which allows you to sign in using your Church Account.

Sometimes the problem with signing in at the FamilySearch site is the result of allowing our browser to autofill information for us so that we don't have to manually sign into a site we use. If you allow your browser to autofill information, please try removing everything from the username and password fields and then manually type in your username and password. Your browser will usually ask if you want to update your sign-in information when you type something that is different than what would autofill. This process is especially important if you change your password. We did notice after reviewing your account information that you reset your password in August, and than you have verified your email address as a recovery option.

In regard to your recent additional comments, if you can sign in using your Church Account, you are not "locked out". We understand that disagreements can arise with other users about information that has been entered on the records of ancestors you share in common. We provide the opportunity to collaborate with others so that we can have the most complete and accurate information possible about our ancestors, and the system is designed to allow you to work through problems created by other users in several ways as explained in the following article...

https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/how-do-i-report-changes-or-problems-made-by-other-contributors

A link within this article can help you to determine what is considered abuse in Family Tree, and simply changing standardized locations or other data is not considered abuse. Again. we hope the information in this additional article will provide suggestions about how to handle problems that may occur.

You are welcome to continue to use your Church Account to sign into FamilySearch to work. If your account continues to be "out of sync" you might try resetting your password again since that will sometimes resolve a syncing problem that is not related to the autofill issue. Best wishes in your continued family history efforts.