Changing ownership

👋 Hi ​@christeeh, welcome to the Box Community! I’d be happy to assist.

When an ownership transfer or collaborator removal results in files becoming inaccessible, the issue can be resolved depending on the specific scenario:

1. If the folder owner is still active but accidentally removed the admin or other collaborators, the collaborators will lose access to the folder and its subfolders.

   • ✅ Resolution: The folder owner (or a Co-owner with appropriate permissions) must reinvite the removed users back to the folder as collaborators.

2. If the previous owner/admin’s account was deleted and their content was not transferred, all collaborations for those folders are severed, making the files inaccessible to co-owners and collaborators.

   • ✅ Resolution: There is a 14-day grace period from the time of deletion during which Box Product Support can recover the deleted user’s content. You must open a support ticket immediately to request recovery of the content and restore the collaborations. If you are unable to submit a ticket, click here.

3. If the primary admin has departed the organization without transferring permissions, preventing administrative control:

   • ✅ Resolution: You can open a support ticket with our Product Support team to request an admin password reset link. You will need to provide these:
     • email of the current admin
     • email of the new admin
     • answer security questions (such as credit card details for self-pay accounts) to verify identity and complete the Admin Transfer Protocol.

Thanks, and let us know if you have any other concerns.