Symptoms

A Confluence Cloud user account was previously de-activated, and that individual has returned. As admin, you've reactivated the account, but the user cannot login.  

Diagnosis

User attempts to login to immediately receive an invalid credentials error. Attempting a password reset will not remedy the problem, as that will yield an expired link.

Further troubleshooting is required with user account. Since database access permissions are not available externally, raise a support request at https://support.atlassian.com

Support can determine more by running queries in the Crowd database:

select user_name,active from cwd_user where user_name = '<enter user name here>';
    user_name     | active 
------------------+--------
 User_Name_Here   | F
(1 row)

Cause

the Crowd database has failed to flag the 'active' object from 'F' to 'T', and then will not replicate to the confluence directory 

Workaround

This will sometimes work to force the reallocation:

• under user management in your instance select the effected user
• Remove user from all groups
• remove application access from the user
• re-add application access
• re-add groups
• reset password
• If you are on our Cloud platform and this does not work you will have to file a support case at https://support.atlassian.com, Please reference this Knowledge base Article's URL on your ticket.

Resolution

• Confirm the User flag is false in both crowd DB and confluence DB with the query:

select user_name,active from cwd_user where user_name = '<enter user name here>';
    user_name     | active 
------------------+--------
 User_Name_Here   | F
(1 row)

• Use the following query in BOTH the Crowd and Confluence DB to update the flag to 'T'

update cwd_user set active = 'T' where user_name = '<enter user name here>';

UPDATE 1

• under user management in your instance select the effected user
• Remove the user from all groups

• re-add groups
• reset password

And you will now be able to log in with this user