We need to upgrade Bamboo but cannot determine the embedded user directory admin account.
Asked by Mitch Gann:

We need to upgrade to the latest Bamboo per the security patch that went out last month. However, in our test instance after upgrading, we were unable to authenticate to our external user directory and could not login at all. There does not seem to be an embedded user directory where we can lcreate admin users and so we could not login to edit the external user directory parameters! Complete catch 22. How can we create an admin user in the internal user directory in bamboo? It only shows the external user directory connection information and there are no details on individual users as to where they are located (internally or externally)


Answers:
author: somethingblue
body: Hi Mitch,

Try the instructions in [Bamboo lost connection to the external user directory preventing users from logging in](https://confluence.atlassian.com/bamkb/bamboo-lost-connection-to-the-external-user-directory-preventing-users-from-logging-in-678691207.html) and hopefully that will get you back into your instance.

Cheers,

Branden

comments: author: Mitch Gann
body: Ive done those steps before and it completely broke our test instance. I can get into both our test and production bamboo currently as myself via the external user directory.

However, what I actually need in our Production instance before I encounter this problem during our upgrade is to either A) Create a user in the Internal directory and give them global admin permissions or B) Confirm a user is actually created in the internal directory and give them admin privlidges and update their password. Unfortunately, Bamboo, unlike the other atlassian apps, does not show which directory (internal/external) a user belongs to, or even how to edit/update a users password, email etc.


author: Mitch Gann
body: Actually I found the answer on the following page. <https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Bamboo-questions/How-to-create-local-admin-in-Bamboo/qaq-p/433245>

Bamboo documentation is notoriously bad. If you can find in the documentation where it explains what is stated in the attached discussion, I will upvote and like the answer.


author: somethingblue
body: Hi Mitch,  

I'm glad you found that. What they are referring to can be found in the [Users and permissions](https://confluence.atlassian.com/bamboo/users-and-permissions-289277200.html) knowledge base article under Choose a user management option, however, what is not clear is that Bamboo doesn't perform like JIRA and Confluence in that you can have multiple directories and you have to chose one type of directory to use - either internal or external.

Thanks for pointing that out and I am going to try to get that changed in the documentation. As an aside, if there are any internal admin users you can also find the internal admin users with the information in [Restoring passwords to recover admin users](https://confluence.atlassian.com/bamboo/restoring-passwords-to-recover-admin-users-289277354.html).  

<br />

Cheers,  

Branden


author: Mitch Gann
body: I did try the "Restoring passwords steps to recover the admin user" and that basically broke our test bamboo instance and it refused to boot. I had to upgrade to latest Bamboo for it to start again. I would recommend the Bamboo team test/review and verify that process works as explained.


author: Mitch Gann
body: Nope your suggested work around of setting the internal user repository did not work because the instant I clicked save it logged me out and now its no longer talking to the external user repository. Bamboo is so annoying!! Grrr