Who is this article for?

Administrators managing personnel transitions and document ownership.

Administrator permissions are required.

When a user account is disabled the system, they are removed from all active selection lists across the system, including the Editor filter in Advanced Search, but their association with documents remains intact as stored metadata.

This article explains what happens when a user is disabled, and where to find documents linked to those profiles.

Overview

Before a user can be disabled, the system will ask you to reassign their tasks. This is the point at which document and workflow responsibilities should be transferred to another active user.

For documents:

• Documents in Edit status are changed to the Checked in status. Any checked out versions are lost.
• Document metadata remains linked to the disabled user. The name contiunes to appear in reports and document properties.

Important

Reassigning must be completed at the point of disabling. Once a user is disabled, the system doesn't provide a view of what was reassigned or to whom.

If reassignment was not completed before disabling, you will need to locate the affected documents and update ownership manually.

Finding affected documents

There are three reliable methods for producing a complete list of documents tied to a disabled user account.

Running a Document report (recommended)

The built-in Document report efficiently lists all documents linked to a user, including disabled accounts. It features an Editor column that keeps the original user's name after account deactivation, with results exportable to Excel.

To run a Document report:

1. Select Reports from the Navigation Menu.
2. Under the Document tab, find a document-type report.
3. Select Run.
4. In the Editor filter field, type the disabled user's name.
5. Select Run Report.
6. Review results in the report grid.
7. Select Export to Excel or Export to CSV to save the list for further review.

Tip

If you need to see documents across all statuses (including Retired), set the Current Step filter to include all steps, or leave it unselected to return all results. This ensures no documents are missed.

Exporting the Document list

To identify disabled user accounts or perform a full system audit, run a document report without filtering by user and export the list to Excel. The Editor column displays the last editor's name, active or disabled, enabling filtering and sorting in Excel.

Note

This approach works because document metadata, including the Editor field, is stored independently of whether the associated user account is active or disabled. The name will always appear in exported data.

Updating document ownership

Once you have identified documents still associated with a disabled user, you can update ownership or editor assignment through standard document management steps.

Tip

To avoid this situation in future, use the Reassign Disabled User's Tasks dialog fully at the point of disabling. Assign document responsibilities to an active user before confirming the disable action.Comparing available methods

Each method has specific strengths and limitations depending on your needs.

Further reading

• Disabling a user