Users with 'Contribute' cannot edit/delete from Library (Sharepoint 2010)

Question

An issue has recently been brought to my attention that users with Contribute access to a Document Library cannot actually Edit/Delete items. Whenever users go to Edit a document they get an Access Denied error although they do in fact have the correct permissions.

I understand that on a List you have to change Item-Level Permissions to allow you to Edit/Delete All files (not just your own), but I do not see this option for Libraries.

Is there a setting I am missing specifically for Document Libraries?

Answer 1

Check to see if the Contribute permission level actually includes "Delete Items". To view the site permission levels:

1. On the site, click the Site Actions menu, and then click Site Settings.
2. On the Site Settings page, in the Users and Permissions section, click Site Permissions.
3. On the Site Permissions >> Edit tab, click Permission Levels.
4. On the Permission Levels page, click on the Contribute permission.
5. Review the selected List Permissions and see if "Delete Items" is selected.

If it is not selected, then a Site Collection Administrator will need to either change the level to include "Delete Items" or create a new level that includes this permission.

To change permission levels, you first open the Permission Levels page.

1. On the top-level Web site of the site collection, click the Site Actions menu, and then click Site Settings.
2. On the Site Settings page, in the Users and Permissions section, click Site Permissions.
3. On the Site Permissions >> Edit tab, click Permission Levels.
4. On the Permission Levels page, click on the Contribute permission.
5. Update the selected List Permissions as necessary.

Answer 2

There is no such setting for libraries, that setting is only for lists.

I would first check to see if the file itself was uninherited from the parent permission level, it could be that they do not have access to modify that specific file. Use the drop-down menu on that file to go to "Manage Permissions" to look.

I would next check the permission levels to see if anything changed for them. They could have a corrupt or otherwise modified permission level that only allows additions (I'm assuming that's all they can do).

Also, I would look at the masterpage or layout to see if anything is modified incorrectly. Earlier in the year I had been getting access denied pages because I a modified masterpage that I found out was invalid.