What you need to use your CAC on AKO/DKO
If you have a CAC you can register it to AKO and use your CAC to access your account instead of your username and password.
The most common and easiest way to register your CAC is just try to log in with it. Our system is set up to match your CAC to your account so usually you can just log in without doing anything to register. If you have any issues with this please continue reading.
How to register your CAC to AKO
You should be able to register your CAC by just logging in with it even if you have done nothing specific to register. If this does not work you may need to go through the specific registration process. Please see HOW TO REGISTER YOUR CAC TO AKO for details.
Common Issues
New CAC Type
You may need to update your ActivClient software. Take your physical Common Access Card and look on the back along the top; if it says “Gemalto TOP DL GX4 144” or “Oberthur ID One 128 v5.5 Dual” then you have a newer CAC and will need to update your ActivClient version to 6.2 or newer.
For information on obtaining and installing the latest version of ActivClient see WHAT SOFTWARE DO I NEED TO USE MY CAC?.
If you are a Contractor to the Army and need assistance with obtaining ActivClient from the AKO portal please email ako.cac@us.army.mil
A window asks for both your username and password.
When registering your CAC using the registration wizard you will be prompted to verify your password and only your password. If you are prompted to enter both your username and your password you will need to clear your temporary internet files and attempt registration again.
For instructions on how to clear your temporary internet files please see CLEARING MY BROWSER’S TEMPORARY INTERNET FILES.
CAC certificate is not listed or wrong
During the registration and login process you may be prompted to select your CAC certificate. You will select the certificate that matches the one on your CAC but you may see more than one option if you have obtained a new CAC or if other users have logged in to your PC.
If the correct certificate is not listed or if you want to delete old or irrelevant certificates please see HOW TO MAKE YOUR CAC CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE.
Revoked certificate
You might receieve an error that your certificates have been revoked. If you do then the certificate that AKO/DKO uses to validate your credentials has been revoked and you need to obtain a new one.
If your certificates have been revoked and you need to obtain a new CAC please check REVOKED CAC CERTIFICATES.
EDIPI doesn’t match
If you receive an error stating that your EDIPI doesn’t match you will need to contact the service desk for assistance.
Browser crashes/login page refreshes
If you have Vista you may experience this. First you will want to make sure you are on the most recent version of Internet Explorer, which you can do by opening your Start menu, selecting Control Panel, then launching your ‘Windows Update’ function.
If you are on the most recent version of Internet Explorer and continue to have this issue please follow these steps:
- Open your Tools Menu
- Select Internet Options
- Select the ‘Content’ Tab
- Click the ‘Certificates’ Button
- Click the Advanced Button
- Check the box next to “Client Authentication”
- Clear your temporary internet files and try again
403 Access Forbidden
If you receive this message when you are attempting to register you will need to register your CAC using the CAC registration wizard instead of being able to simply log in with your CAC. Please follow the instructions in HOW TO REGISTER YOUR CAC TO AKO to register your CAC inside the portal.
If you have already registered your CAC successfully and get this message when attempting to log in you might need to adjust the security settings of your computer. Please check ERROR: “403: ACCESS FORBIDDEN” for more information.
Page Cannot Be Displayed
If you are getting an error that says your Page Cannot Be Displayed you will need to clear your temporary internet files. See CLEARING MY BROWSER’S TEMPORARY INTERNET FILES for information on how to clear your temporary internet files.
If clearing your temporary internet files doesn’t work confirm that SSL 2.0 is disabled in your Internet Explorer by opening your Tools Menu, selecting Internet Options, selecting the Advanced Tab, and then scroll to where you see SSL 2.0 and make sure it is unchecked.
This access to email and AKO use to be a reliable process. Now you have made it complicated and ineffective. I used the Driver Update tied to the site and it didn’t work and they are trying to change my computer and give me a subscription. I don’t want another organization making changes to my computers. I’ve been left with a non working computer too many times and I’m not doing it again. It worked well before by posting the message telling us what changes were needed to be uploaded. Now it appears you want free access to my computer to add and subtract software as you see fit. This Windows 10 is disgusting and never should have been accepted. I would use my military email address, but you now have made it inaccessible to me from my location.