created a broken user with alfresco share user upload

[Valatronic]

Hi guys,

we have a test system running alfresco 7.4

While testing, we uploaded a user (csv import) but the encoding of the csv file was utf-16 bom.

The user was created without any error but when you try to open the user in share, you'll get an error: "Cannot load data"

Using the REST Api people endpoint, the user is listed as well but the user has unicode characters like "\u0000L" within the id.

Now, when I try to delete the user via API DELETE /alfresco/service/api/people/{id} I get a 404. Also tried to url encode the id, but still 404.

Do you have any ideas how to get rid of this user except of directly delete it in the database?

[brandon698sherr]

Hello there @Valatronic ,

A user was created with a corrupted ID due to incorrect CSV file encoding (UTF-16 BOM).
This user cannot be accessed or deleted through standard Alfresco Share interface or the REST API (404 error).

Deleting via REST API DELETE /alfresco/service/api/people/{id} (unsuccessful)
URL encoding the user ID (unsuccessful).

It's crucial to create a full backup of your Alfresco database before proceeding.
Use a database query tool to directly access the Alfresco database and find the corrupted user's ID. Look for tables containing user information (e.g., "useraccount").

Modifying the database directly should be a last resort due to potential data integrity issues. If you're not familiar with SQL queries, seek help from a database administrator to avoid unintended consequences.
Write and execute a DELETE query targeting the specific user ID in the relevant table. Ensure you're comfortable with SQL queries before attempting this step.