Proxmox root GUI access lost after changing root user email

T

TargaryenTurtle

New Member
Aug 16, 2025
4
1
3
Hello, I have been unable to access my GUI using the root user login after changing the email for the root user. Login fails with error message "Login failed. Please try again" and requires refreshing page before new log in can be attempted.
 
Last edited:
Well..., rethink again: did you change any other settings? Changing the email address of any user should not affect the password, of course!

Can you login via ssh? Did you try another browser? Did you reboot?

The last resort is to set a new password for root. While I do not see this as the solution from your post, here is the description: https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/Root_Password_Reset
 
  • Like
Reactions: leesteken
UdoB said:
Well..., rethink again: did you change any other settings? Changing the email address of any user should not affect the password, of course!

Can you login via ssh? Did you try another browser? Did you reboot?

The last resort is to set a new password for root. While I do not see this as the solution from your post, here is the description: https://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/Root_Password_Reset
Click to expand...
I have tried accessing the GUI on two different computers, using both Firefox and Chrome and can not log into the GUI. I lost access to the GUI right after changing the email for the root user. I started seeing it say something about "error 401" before I rebooted to try to fix the issue. I still have access to the CLI on both nodes of my cluster, but am unable to log in to the GUI of either node. I tried resetting the root password on one of the nodes, but am still unable to log in to the GUI.
 
Just to be sure: in the "Proxmox VE Login" dialog the third field is a drop-down box labeled "Realm". You selected "Linux PAM standard auth", right?
 
UdoB said:
Just to be sure: in the "Proxmox VE Login" dialog the third field is a drop-down box labeled "Realm". You selected "Linux PAM standard auth", right?
Click to expand...
Yeah, I've tried both Linux PAM standard authentication and Proxmox VE authentication server and neither work.
 
Update: I must have accidentally clicked the option to disable the user while changing the email. Re enabled the root user through the CLI and am now able to log in again.
 
  • Like
Reactions: UdoB
Hi

The same issue happend to me today, I changed the email of the root user. Turns out i somehow disabled the root user.

Found this in the logs
pvedaemon[958011]: authentication failure; rhost=::ffff:192.168.10.6 user=root@pam msg=user 'root@pam' is disabled

This fixed it for me

T

Thread 'deactivated root@PAM - how to reactivate [SOLVED]'

Hi guys
I was fondeling around the the GUI. And I deactivated the PAM login and now I can't loginto the WEB-GUI. I know stupid me... but am learning by doing ... xD

Could someone post me the path to reactivate it via CLI

thaaaanks !!

I just installed proxmox for the first time this week in my homelab as I am evaluating promox as a hyper-v replasement at work. It is crazy to me that the system lets you disable the only admin user on the system without a warning, or at all when no other admin accounts have been created.

I have some linux experiance so by some searching and and reading some logs i figured it out. But as a evaluation it is not a good first look that i could break it so easy. I do however have a lot of fun with the LXE containers.

Hope this helps.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TargaryenTurtle and UdoB
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom