Can't access space admin because space was created by LDAP user account that no longer exists

[Kenty]

We have a couple of spaces on our Confluence installation whereby the Space Admin isn't accessible by anybody because they were set up with a single admin user, and that user account is no longer active (LDAP managed).

Even with full confluence admin privileges I can't find a way to make myself admin for those spaces. Help!

[Daniel Borcherding · Accepted solution]

Just to expand a bit on this point. This space admin sounds like it is locked to a single user. There is no way to alter the spacepermission table from the UI. This is the table that locks control of a space. It is necessary then to recreate the user and unlock the space as that user.

Bruna points to the strategy of creating a clone of that user in the Confluence internal directory and circuventing the space permissions in this manner. You are then free to remove the restrictions from the space.

An alternate strategy would be to manually edit the space permissions table from your favorite database editing tool. You could find all mention of the user that is no loner active and replace it with a user that still exists. This is a bit of a hacky way around things and if you choose this method I would definiately take a backup of your database before giving it a try.

[Bruna Griebeler]

Hi Kenty!

In that case, please make sure that you still have the Confluence Admin > User Directory > Confluence Internal activated.

If the user no longer exists, you can recreate it and then you'll have access to the page/space and then remove its restrictions in which page.

Hope it helps!