- Verify the password: Ensure you are using the correct password. Double-check for any typos or accidental changes.
- Check for password changes: If you recently changed the password, make sure your application's configuration files or connection strings are updated accordingly.
- Reset the password:
- Connect to the PostgreSQL command line as a superuser (e.g.,
postgres user). psql -U postgres
- Run the following SQL command to reset the password for the user encountering the error. Replace
your_user with the username and new_password with the desired password. ALTER USER your_user WITH PASSWORD 'new_password';
- Examine server logs:
- Locate and review the PostgreSQL server logs for any additional error messages that might provide context. The location of these logs varies by installation but is often found in the
pg_log directory within the PostgreSQL data directory.
- Ensure that the PostgreSQL server is configured to use password authentication for the user:
- Check the
pg_hba.conf file for the correct authentication method (e.g., md5 or password) for the connection type and user. If changes are made, reload the PostgreSQL configuration (e.g., by running SELECT pg_reload_conf(); in the psql terminal or restarting the PostgreSQL service).
- Validate the connection string or parameters:
- Confirm that the connection string or parameters used in your application or during the connection attempt are correct, particularly the username, password, host, port, and database name.
These actions are immediate and do not require extensive investigation or access to a database administrator.
