Unable to delete Document Library

Question

I am the Sharepoint Administrator, I have full control of the site collection and yet I am unable to delete a Document Library.

In the Document Library settings the 'delete document library' text does not appear. In the Content and Structure' menu the delete option is greyed out.

I have checked my permissions and I am in the OOTB Owners Group (Full Control).

I was testing Records Management in this Document Library, but it is now empty. I deleted one file from there today, I did Undeclare Record' on the file, deleted it and emptied the recycling bin (in case that was preventing the Doc Library deletion).

Answer 1

You can force it using PowerShell CSOM:

$list = $ctx.Web.Lists.GetByTitle("Some Library")
$list.AllowDeletion = $true
$list.Update()
$list.DeleteObject()
$ctx.Load($list)
$ctx.ExecuteQuery()

Answer 2

Try this ,check any checkout file take the ownership and delete the document library

Go to the 'Document Library Settings' page of the respective 'Pages' library. Under the 'Permissions and Management' group, there is a link named 'Manage files which have no checked in version' (in SPS 2013).

Answer 3

A colleague found the solution to this - here is the blog post he used to kill off the Document Library. It is important to note that this document library had been used for Records Management.

• All existing Records have to be undeclared.
• Hold "Processing and Reporting” timer job can then be run manually (see link).

It's worth noting that the problem will rectify itself if you wait for the next scheduling timer job to run (this depends on how the timer job has been configured though, mine was set to run once per day, overnight).

26/01/2018: additional info to help other users troubleshooting the scheduling timer job. This post from SP Maven says the Timer Job default can be as much as 3 weeks before it runs.