Deleted document characteristics

Q: What happens to a deleted document if the Trash feature is NOT enabled for users?

A: The document is deleted for the user, but it can be restored on the iManage Control Center Trash page by an NRTADMIN user.

Q: What happens to a deleted document if the Trash feature is enabled for users?

A: The user who deleted the document (using the Move to Trash option) can restore it from their Trash, and NRTADMIN users can restore or permanently delete the documents from the iManage Control Center Trash page. The document remains in the Trash forever, until it is either restored or permanently deleted.

Restoring documents

Q: Who can restore documents?

A: The following users can restore documents:

  • NRTADMIN users can restore documents from Trash for other users. 
  • The user who's deleted the document can restore it from their Trash. The document doesn't appear in the Trash for author/operator so they can't restore it.

Q: Why can't I reuse the version of a document that is in the Trash?

A: Though the document is deleted, it still exists in the iManage Work library. To reuse a document version, you must first restore the document from Trash.

Q: What happens when a document is restored from Trash by an administrator?

A: The following occurs:

  • The document is restored to its original location.
  • Reference locations are restored.
  • Security of the document before moving it to Trash is restored.
  • The administrator is provided with a link to the restored document, that can be sent to the user.
  • An entry is recorded in the Timeline of the document. The administrator is prompted to supply an optional comment when restoring the document, and this comment is recorded as the audit comment. This is useful so that administrators can track a request from an end user, such as by referencing a help desk ticket number.

Q: What can cause a document failure during restore?

A: If the parent folder was deleted, the document restoration fails. NRTADMIN users can restore the document to a different location using instructions in Restore to a new location.

Permanent deletion

Q: Who can permanently delete a document?

A: NRTADMIN users can permanently delete documents. For more information about Trash deletion privileges, refer to Understanding tiers.

Q: What happens to documents when they're permanently deleted?

A: The document is deleted and is no longer displayed in user Trash or in Control Center Trash. The document no longer exists, and can no longer be restored.

Q: What happens to journal snapshots when a document is permanently deleted from Trash?

A: All associated journal snapshots are also deleted.

Q: Is there any way for users to bypass Trash and permanently delete a document?

A: There's no option to bypass Trash on a per-document or per-user basis.

Administrator rights

Q: Can administrators access the document content from the Control Center Trash page?

A: No, the document content is confidential and isn't available to administrators to prevent misuse of information.

Q: Can administrators permanently delete documents directly from Control Center?

A: No, a user must first perform a Move to Trash operation on the document in iManage Work. Only then will the document be visible in the Control Center Trash page, at which point an administrator can permanently delete the document.