Custom Web Service not cannot find User

Question

I have created a Custom Web Service for my .NET application that performs various functions against a Sharepoint 2010 site. I use a standard function to run each function as an impersonated user (so there is a parameter for each function that states the user acct under which to run the function).

My problem is that when I go to pull up this account (using the code below), I keep getting a SPException: User cannot be found, despite specifically creating those accounts on the site (because the user sync service is a miserable failure)

So, can someone explain to me how I fix this? I am running this service under the local administrator account, and the accounts exist on the site (honest), but still, it cannot find it.

see below:

Private Function GetToken(ByVal p_strURL As String, ByVal p_strUser As String, ByRef p_strTokenError As String) As Byte()

    Dim objImpersonateSite As SPSite = nothing
    Dim objSPUser As SPUser = Nothing
    Dim w As SPWeb = Nothing
    Dim objToken As SPUserToken = nothing
    Dim bytArr() As Byte

    Try

        'Open my site (I should be admin @ this point)
        objImpersonateSite = New SPSite(p_strURL)

        w = objImpersonateSite.OpenWeb()

        'Figure out my user request param -- usually: DOMAIN\Username
        If InStr(p_strUser, "@") > 0 And InStr(p_strUser, ".") > 0 Then
            objSPUser = w.Users.GetByEmail(p_strUser)
        ElseIf IsNumeric(p_strUser) = True Then
            objSPUser = w.Users.GetByID(CInt(Val(p_strUser)))
        Else
            objSPUser = w.Users(p_strUser)
        End If

        'Check for an actual found acct
        If Not objSPUser Is Nothing Then
            objToken = objSPUser.UserToken
            bytArr = objToken.BinaryToken

            'Return the token
            GetToken = bytArr
        End If


    Catch ex As Exception
        'Pass back the error
        p_strTokenError = ex.ToString
    Finally

    End Try
End Function

Answer 1

SPWeb.Users.GetByEmail() and SPWeb.Users.GetById() is only going to return the users that have logged in to your site. Try the method SPWeb.EnsureUser(). MSDN says the following:

Checks whether the specified logon name belongs to a valid user of the website, and if the logon name does not already exist, adds it to the website.