# Email address already in use - override?
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/email-address-already-in-use-override/50500
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [22.Сентябрь.2016 18:18:28 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/email-address-already-in-use-override/50500 "2016-09-22T18:18:28Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@TheTechnobear](https://meta.discourse.org/u/TheTechnobear)
#### Post date: [22.Сентябрь.2016 18:18:28 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/email-address-already-in-use-override/50500/1 "2016-09-22T18:18:28Z")
Hi,
I have a user that is trying to change their email, and gets the message that the email is already in use.
Ive checked all active users, and there the email is not in use (and its not blocked etc)
I think the issue is, there was originally an account using this email, that I deleted (without anonymising)
here is what happened, I why I believe this is the case (obviously with example data only)
- the user created an account bob, with email [bob@hotmail.com](mailto:bob@hotmail.com)
- they used this for a while creating posts
- then they decided they wanted a different username called bobman… so created an account called bobman , with email [bobman@abc.com](mailto:bobman@abc.com)
at this point, they told me (moderator/admin)
I discussed it with them, and since they had made no posts on the new account (bowman), so we decided the best idea was to actually rename the original account (bob) - the user had not known this was possible
SO (and this is where it goes wrong!)
- I deleted the bobman account
- changed the bob account to bobman,
- he then tried to change the email to [bobman@abc.com](mailto:bobman@abc.com) which is the one he wanted, but he cannot as he is told the email address is in use
I know now, I should have anonymised the bobman account first, but I thought it was unnecessary since it was being deleted..
so I think the issue is, I think its the deleted account that retains the email so he cannot use it… and unfortunately as its deleted I cannot access it to anonymise it.
is this a bug? is there a workaround?
Thanks for your help…
Mark
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### Author:  [@TheTechnobear](https://meta.discourse.org/u/TheTechnobear)
#### Post date: [24.Сентябрь.2016 14:54:45 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/email-address-already-in-use-override/50500/2 "2016-09-24T14:54:45Z")
No thoughts on this? Workarounds?
Is there anyway I can edit this users email address for him?
I know the email address is ok, seems a pity admins cannot just set it as they wish.
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### Author:  [@TheTechnobear](https://meta.discourse.org/u/TheTechnobear)
#### Post date: [25.Сентябрь.2016 20:56:50 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/email-address-already-in-use-override/50500/3 "2016-09-25T20:56:50Z")
somehow its resolved itself… perhaps some background job has to run?
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### Author:  [@JammyDodger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JammyDodger)
#### Post date: [08.Июнь.2024 12:45:21 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/email-address-already-in-use-override/50500/4 "2024-06-08T12:45:21Z")
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