Despite in Canvas Documentation says that "Delete a user" process cannot be undone (How do I delete a user from an account?) , we have the situation where a user was deleted but when an application tried to create it again with the same SIS_USER_ID the API response is "The SIS_ID is already used", so I understand that deletion is a logical one, not physical.
Does anyone know if there's any way to restore that deleted user?
@lucas_faule , I think when I've done this in the past I contacted Canvas Support to restore the deleted user. Yet, there might be a way on the back-end of things to do this so I'll share this question with the Canvas Developers and Canvas Admins groups in the Community to see if they can help!
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Restore a deleted user
reply from Kona Jones<https://community.canvaslms.com/people/kona%40richland.edu?et=watches.email.thread> in Find Answers - View the full discussion<https://community.canvaslms.com/message/43755?et=watches.email.thread#comment-43755>
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Restore a deleted user
reply from Garth Egbert<https://community.canvaslms.com/people/garth%40academicplatforms.com?et=watches.email.thread> in Find Answers - View the full discussion<https://community.canvaslms.com/message/43775?et=watches.email.thread#comment-43775>
Thanks to everyone who answered my question and for all very helpful information you provided!! Finally, the SIS generated a new SIS_ID for the user in order to solve the problem inmediately.
I had a new approach from @garth for future similar situations and I preciate it. Thanks.
Opening an old thread. I looked this up to see if there was an easier way, fewer steps, to do this. This is what I do.
First, before deleting a user with a SIS ID I manually change the ID to something the school will never use. DAVEisGREATandDeservesmorePay and then delete the user. If I forget to do this, as I did today, I perform these steps:
Run provisioning or SIS report for all users including deleted objects
To get the full record needed if I don't know all of the data for the user deleted.
Put user record into user.csv format and set the user to active
using record information found in provisioning report
Import the user.csv file
Change user SIS ID through the GUI to something ridiculous as discussed earlier
Delete the user
Import or manually build new ID.
After step 3 you could also simply change all data not pertaining to the SIS ID through the GUI. I find that I cannot do this through the SIS Import. I find this to be the safest way to handle this process.
It is important not to delete a user in many cases. If you have a student that becomes an employee. You don't want to destroy the user of the student because you would loose all data associated with that student.
Just thought I would add to this. You could also make changes using the API.
I would avoid deleting a user completely unless they completely stop going to school. When a user is 'deleted' it will delete the login tied to the sis_id. If the login is the last one, all of the users enrollments will also be deleted and they won't be able to log in to the school's account.
There are two options to stop a student from either participating in courses, but still can log in (the first option), or not allow them to see at all
1) users.csv file: If you still want the student to be able to log in but just not participate, leave the student 'active' but set the enrollments to 'completed' (For users.csv)
2) enrollments.csv We can set their status as "inactive"."If in an 'inactive' state, the student will be listed in the course roster for teachers, but will not be able to view or participate in the course until the enrollment is activated." (for enrollments.csv).
Here are the steps to successfully restore a deleted student.
1. Go to Account level >> Settings>> Reports
2. Find "provisioning" and download a users.csv file
3. In that csv file, C+FIND the SIS ID for the student.
4. Copy row entire for that user and then copy into new csv file. This will be the second row, the first row will be the proper names of the columns
**5. Canvas_user_id number is important to have in this new csv file because it allows the system to know we are restoring the user. Without this information, the system thinks you’re adding a new user. This is the problem you are having.
6. You do not need the column “created by SIS ID”; you can delete that entire column.
