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URGENT Unable to add existing user as Managed User — "Cannot add this user" error

  • March 17, 2026
  • 2 replies
  • 36 views

We have an Enterprise plan with 4 seats purchased. 3 of 4 seats are currently occupied, and 1 seat remains available.

We are trying to add a 4th user as a Managed User, but this user previously had an existing personal Box account associated with their email address.

Steps we have taken so far:

  1. Asked the user to delete their previous Box account to free up the email address.
  2. Attempted to add the user via Admin Console > Users and Groups > Add Users Manually.
  3. Received the initial error ("1 user failed to be added") and clicked Save a second time as recommended in Box documentation.
  4. On the second Save, the system shows a continuous loading spinner, and a notification appears on screen: "Cannot add this user."
  5. The loading never completes and the user is never added.

What we are requesting:

We need immediate assistance to resolve this issue so that we can add this user to our enterprise as a Managed User. We have been unable to use 1 of our 4 purchased seats due to this problem.

Please take whatever action is needed on your end (e.g., clearing the previous account association for this email address) to allow us to add this user.

We would appreciate support in Japanese if available, but given the urgency, English is also fine.
 

Note: We have previously submitted a support ticket regarding this issue but have not received a response. This is an urgent request - please response asap.

Best answer by Jey Bueno Box

👋 Hi ​@Yoshifumi Hanada, welcome to the Box Community, and thank you for providing a detailed explanation of your situation.

 

The issue is caused by the user’s personal Box account being deactivated, which prevents you from adding them. Per Box policy, a deactivated free account is permanently deleted and removed from the system after 120 days, and this timeline cannot be expedited.


To resolve this, please advise the user to email billing@box.com to request account reactivation. They must use the email address associated with the affected account. For urgent cases, they may also contact the Billing Team at:

  • US: 1-877-729-4269
  • International: 1-650-641-2332 OR +44 808-189-0504


Please note that they may still be asked to authenticate the account by responding to the case using the account owner’s email address during the call.


Once the account is active again, you can follow the same steps you used when inviting an existing user with a personal account. We also have a related thread that may be helpful:

 

If you have any other concerns, feel free to reach out.

2 replies

Jey Bueno Box
  • Community Manager
  • Answer
  • March 17, 2026

👋 Hi ​@Yoshifumi Hanada, welcome to the Box Community, and thank you for providing a detailed explanation of your situation.

 

The issue is caused by the user’s personal Box account being deactivated, which prevents you from adding them. Per Box policy, a deactivated free account is permanently deleted and removed from the system after 120 days, and this timeline cannot be expedited.


To resolve this, please advise the user to email billing@box.com to request account reactivation. They must use the email address associated with the affected account. For urgent cases, they may also contact the Billing Team at:

  • US: 1-877-729-4269
  • International: 1-650-641-2332 OR +44 808-189-0504


Please note that they may still be asked to authenticate the account by responding to the case using the account owner’s email address during the call.


Once the account is active again, you can follow the same steps you used when inviting an existing user with a personal account. We also have a related thread that may be helpful:

 

If you have any other concerns, feel free to reach out.


Thank you Jey, much appreciated.

Well noted. I’ll reach out your billing team respectively for any further instructions.

Kind regards,
Yoshi