Zoom: "This meeting ID is not valid" Error / Cannot Join Meeting

Environment

U-M Zoom

Issue

You encounter an error when attempting to join a Zoom meeting: "Unable to join this meeting. This meeting ID is not valid. Please check and try again."

Resolution

If you encounter this error, try the following troubleshooting steps in the listed order below (starting with step 1) until the error is resolved.

1. Update your Zoom desktop or mobile app and try to join the meeting again

   1. If updating your app does not work, and you are not the host of the meeting / do not have scheduling privileges for the host, you will be unable to troubleshoot further
   2. Contact the host of your Zoom meeting, and ask them to contact the ITS Service Center regarding this issue
   3. Only continue to step 2 if you are the host and/or have scheduling privileges for the host of the meeting

2. Check the list of your upcoming meetings to verify if the error meeting's ID is on the list

   1. Tips for completing this troubleshooting step:
      1. If you have scheduling privileges for the meeting host (i.e., you are not the host), click the Myself drop-down menu in the upper right of the list, and select the host before searching
         • Otherwise, the list results will only show your own meetings
      2. Press CTRL + F (Windows) or CMD + F (Mac) on the webpage, and search for the first three numbers in the meeting ID
      3. If the results are on more than one page, scroll down to the bottom of the page, click the drop-down menu (which will likely say "15/page") beside the page selection, and select the option to show the most results on one page (e.g., "100/page")
         • This way you won't have to search each individual page.
      4. Remember to check recurring meetings, which will always display at the end of the list of upcoming meetings
   2. If a) the meeting ID is found in the list of upcoming meetings, b) you're certain your Zoom app version is up-to-date, and c) the issue persists, contact the ITS Service Center
   3. If the meeting ID isn't found in the list of upcoming meetings, continue to step 3

3. Check your Zoom trash to verify if you (or the host) accidentally deleted the meeting within the last seven days

   1. Zoom meetings remain in your trash for seven days or until you permanently delete them (whichever comes first)
   2. Press CTRL + F (Windows) or CMD + F (Mac) on the webpage, and search for the first three numbers in the meeting ID
   3. If the meeting is in your trash, it can be recovered by clicking the Recover button
      1. Participants should be able to join the meeting again after it has been restored

4. If you scheduled the meeting using the Google Calendar "Zoom for Google Workspace" add-on and...

   • The Google Calendar is not shared with the meeting host
     • Recreate the meeting with a new ID and share the calendar with the meeting host
   • The Google Calendar is owned by someone external to U-M Google
     • ​​​​​​​Recreate the meeting with a new ID on a calendar owned by someone with a U-M Google account
   • The Google Calendar event still shows the old meeting ID, follow the steps below:
     1. Click the event on your Google Calendar, and then click Edit event (pencil icon)
     2. Click the Zoom icon in the right-side panel to open the Zoom for Google Workspace add-on. (If the right-side panel is not there, click the left-pointing arrow in the lower right corner of the page to Show side panel)
     3. The Zoom for Google Workspace add-on should refresh to show the details for the existing meeting. If this does not happen, stop here as there is no meeting attached to the event, and/or you may have opened the wrong event
     4. Click the Update Meeting button at the top of the side panel
     5. Try to join the meeting, or check your Upcoming Meetings to see if it has reappeared. (If it has reappeared, it will be valid and working)
   • The Google Calendar event was created on a group calendar
     • If the meeting was created on a group calendar, but then linked in an event on the host's personal calendar, Zoom could have adjusted the date/time of the event to match the personal calendar event. Additionally, if this calendar event on the personal calendar is deleted, it can result in the event being deleted in Zoom even if the group calendar event remains.
     • Check your trash to see if you can restore the event, otherwise it will need to be recreated in the group calendar event.

Additional Information

If the meeting does not exist after troubleshooting, it has expired or been deleted at some point. It is possible that the meeting was being used as a reoccurring meeting but was not set up as reoccurring. A meeting ID will delete after 30 days of non-use. 

If you have questions or need additional assistance, contact the ITS Service Center.