How can I resolve an 'exceeded list view threshold' error when I get the error attempting to create an index?

Question

I have a list of slightly over 10,000 items, newly created via upload from a spreadsheet. When I try to assign an index, so I can then create a view to filter the olist, I get the error:

exceeds the list view threshold.

When I try to delete the list, I get the same error.

I don't have access to Central Admin, and therefore can't temporarily increase the limit (governance and international support service issues makes this almost impossible).

I guess I could display and delete 100 items at a time (the default maximum allowed for lists deletion at any one time), until I reduce the size of the list to under 5000 items. But that's 50+ transactions, and it would be useful to know if there's another way around this.

Any suggestions greatefully accepted.

Answer 1

This might be stupid but what about the time window that enables this kind of operations that exceed the LVT?

Can you check to see if your company has set it up? It should be mentioned in the governance document.

Answer 2

List view threshold is configurable, and different for admins. It is not recommended to modify it. However, if you do not have admin rights to do something then it would be a good idea to involve the admins in the solution. The limit is there for a really good reason, and while a piece of cake to circumvent, the farm's performance and reliability are at stake, so your admins should be a part of the conversation. The admins are the people in your org who are expected and resourced to know how to work with data this size.

Alternatively, delete the newly created list and break up your import into 2 lists. Here is a good article about the reason for the limit. If you really need a data set of 10000 items or more, there are likely better ways to surface the data (excel or access services anyone?) for your organization.