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Initialize Your Voice Mailbox

Stanford University and School of Medicine

Note: Your mailbox number is your ten-digit phone number.

Before you begin, prepare:

  • your new password — A private code 6 to 19 digits long that you must enter each time you access your mailbox. Information Technology Services does not keep track of passwords, so be sure to choose one that you will remember. You can change it at any time.
  • your personal or department greeting — This is the recording that callers hear before leaving a message. It can be up to five minutes long. Try writing down your greeting and then reading it back to help yourself record it smoothly. If you have the Return for Assistance feature (allows callers to, for example, press "0" to speak with a receptionist), you may want to ask your Department IT Contact how to word your greeting.

To initialize your mailbox, use any touch-tone phone to:

1. Dial 650-725-0000, (5-0000 from a Stanford phone)

The system answers your call in one of several ways, depending on the phone from which you are calling.

2. Enter information, depending on the phone from which you are calling:

From the telephone line with the SAME number as your voice mailbox:

You will be prompted to enter your password.

  • Enter your seven-digit initial password. (This is your phone number without the area code.)
From a campus telephone line with a DIFFERENT number from your voice mailbox:

The system assumes you are the mailbox owner and prompts you to enter your password.

  • Press # (instead of entering your password).
    The system will ask for your ten-digit mailbox number.
  • Enter your ten-digit mailbox number followed by the # key.
    You will be prompted to enter your password.
  • Enter your seven-digit initial password. (This is your phone number without the area code.)
From ANY OTHER telephone (not recognized by the system):

When the system does not recognize the phone number from which you're calling, it will prompt you immediately to enter your ten-digit mailbox number.

  • Enter your ten-digit mailbox number followed by the # key.
    You will be prompted to enter your password.
  • Enter your seven-digit initial password. (This is your phone number without the area code.)
    Note: If you misdial your password, you will be prompted to re-enter your mailbox number (your ten-digit phone number) and password for access.
Note: If you misdial your password, you will be prompted to re-enter your mailbox number (your ten-digit phone number) and password for access.

3. After you enter the initial password number, the system prompts you to enter the rest of the information it needs, including:

  • Your new password
  • Your personal or department greeting

Please see Manage Your Voicemail Greetings for instructions on how to record your name and greetings.

Last modified July 5, 2012