Why Can't I Delete Files from the SOLIDWORKS PDM Vault?

When working in your SOLIDWORKS PDM vault, it may be natural that you would like to delete some files that are no longer relevant to a project. In a normal Windows File Explorer environment, you would be able to do so with a simple right click and "Delete." In Solidworks PDM there are a few reasons that you may not have the ability to do so. Below are some reasons that any given user or group may be unable to delete files, and also some ways to interact with deleted files in PDM.

There are a number of reasons this may be, but it is most likely due to your permissions:

• The file is currently checked out.
• The user lacks proper permissions to take the "delete" action.
• The file has been in a state that the user did not have permission to delete in.

These problems can be resolved fairly simply as a PDM administrator with a few simple adjustments in the Administration tool.

Checked Out File

If the file you are trying to delete is currently checked out by a user, then it is necessary to check that file back in to the vault before deleting it.

If the file is checked out by a user that is no longer with the company, or is on a device that is no longer accessible, then your PDM Admin will need to use "Undo Checkout" to check the file back in. 

After the file has been checked back in, the file can then be deleted. Right click the file and then select "Delete." If the delete action fails, or a new error pops up regarding permissions, please continue reading.

Lacking Permissions to Delete Files

In some cases, when trying to delete a file from your vault, the issue becomes about whether your administrator has allowed you to delete a file or not. A warning like this may appear.

If you believe that you should have permission to delete this file, then you can reach out to a PDM administrator and ask them to modify your permissions.

The two permissions that are checked when trying to delete a file are Folder Permissions and State Permissions. To modify these permissions the PDM admin should open the Administration tool and access the vault settings. In the vault settings, expand Users and Group Management and then double-click a group that the user is in or the users individual profile and enable these settings:

• Folder Permissions: Select the folder that the file is in (or a higher level folder, as these permissions will apply to subfolders) in the top pane, and then enable the "Delete file" checkbox in the lower pane.
• State Permissions: Select the workflow that the file is in, in the dropdown in the top right. Then select the state the file is in from the top pane. Finally, enable the "Delete file" checkbox in the lower pane.

If this does not allow the user to delete the file, and the above image still is appearing, then read on to the next section.

Previous State Permissions

If it still appears that the user is having a permissions issue, it may be because the file has previously passed through a state that they weren't allowed to delete the file in. If this is the case, and the user should have access to deleting files in this state regardless of the states it has passed through, then follow these steps:

1. Go into the administration tool and access the workflow that the file in question needs to be deleted from.
2. Double click on the state that the file is currently in.
3. Enable the option "Ignore Permissions in Previous States"
4. Exit the state and save the changes in the workflow (Top left).

Moving Files to a Controlled Folder

If the user should not necessarily have permission to delete files, an alternative that can be offered to users is creating a "To Be Deleted" folder in your vault.

Assign users permissions to "Move" files in State and Folder permissions, and then allow them to move any files that they believe should be deleted into this folder. The delete operation can be taken by a team lead or administrator to prevent from files being deleted before it is their time.

Recovering and Destroying Deleted Items

Once a file has been deleted from the vault, it can still be recovered as the data is still being kept by the archive. This means that the server has a copy of the file in case the users do end up needing it again. You have two potential ways a user can further interact with a deleted file.

• Destroying Files: Destroying a file removes it from the vault completely. Once the file is destroyed its contents are removed from the archive server as well. A destroyed file can never be recovered without a backup of the archive files.
• Recovering Files: A deleted files data is still stored in the server, so by recovering the file, you can add it back to the folder it previously was in.

The best way to access the deleted files in your Vault is:

1. Go into your PDM vault and right click, select Properties... (You can browse to a specific folder, if you know where the file was deleted from).
2. Go to the "Deleted Items" tab.
3. Enable "Include items in sub-folders" checkbox.
4. Right click a file (or group select many files) and select "Recover" or "Destroy" based on what you are trying to do.
   • If recovering a file, make note of the "File location" as this is where the file will be after recovery.
   • If destroying a file, the file will be deleted forever once this action is taken. Take caution!

Attached is a pdf that shows the required SOLIDWORKS PDM permissions to move, copy, rename and delete. 

For further technical support, please contact Hawk Ridge Systems at 877.266.4469 for the U.S. or 866.587.6803 for Canada and support@hawkridgesys.com.