Alexander: How to replace online passwords

Q: I have forgotten the Gmail password that I also used to sign in to my Barnes & Noble e-book account. I can get along without Gmail (I use AOL mail instead). But without that Gmail password I can't download any more books for my Nook e-reader. How can I find out what my Gmail password is or create a new one?

Joan Arnold, Tucson, Ariz.

A: The solution is complicated. Here's why:

• The original password you used for both services is permanently lost, because Gmail will only give you a new password, not tell you the old one.

• Getting only a new Gmail password won't help you, because the Barnes & Noble site won't recognize it. There's no electronic link between the two services to update passwords.

As a result, you will need new passwords for both the Gmail and Barnes & Noble websites, and you will need to obtain the Gmail password first.

Why? Because, once you ask Barnes & Noble for a new password, it will send your Gmail account an e-mail containing a "password reset link." That link expires in 24 hours, so you must already be in control of your Gmail account to respond promptly.

Note: Experts advise doing this on the same computer you previously used to access Gmail. Google can apparently identify your computer, location or IP address.

Once you have recovered your Gmail account, follow the Barnes & Noble password reset instructions (tinyurl.com/y95zolth). When you click "send a link to my e-mail," that starts the 24-hour period for the reset.

If this doesn't work, all you can do is create a new Barnes & Noble account, using your AOL e-mail address and a different password.

Q: I used my work e-mail address to log in to Facebook. Now that I have left the job, my work e-mail address will be eliminated. How can I switch my Facebook login to my Gmail account?

Lin Goodman, Minnetonka

Log in with the work e-mail address, then click the down arrow at the top right of your Facebook page. From the drop-down menu select "settings," and from the next menu click "contact." Then click "add another e-mail or mobile number," enter your Gmail address and click "add." Facebook will send an e-mail to your Gmail address; click the "confirm" button in that e-mail.

Now go back to the list of Facebook e-mail accounts to make sure your Gmail account is included. If it is, you should be able to log in with that address. Then, check the box next to the Gmail address to make it your "primary" contact, the one to which Facebook will send any alerts about your account. Then click "remove" next to your old work address to delete it from Facebook. Click "save changes."