Unable to delete SharePoint 2010 ContentType "Contenty type in use."

Question

I have tried all the recommendations on the web, to no avail.

I wrote a console application per these instructions: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/microsoft.sharepoint.spcontenttypecollection.delete.aspx

The "Usages.Count" is = 0. Yet, when it tries to delete the Content Type I get an Exception:

"The content type is in use."

This is a brand new (development) install. I created a test site in SP Designer, created a Content Type,then a list. Then, I removed the list, removed it from Recycle Bin and tried to remove the content type...... Ugh.

Solution 1

I was frustrated by this issue until I found your comment. Excellent advice.

1. Delete from site recycle bin.
2. Delete from Site Collection > Site Settings > Site Collection Administration > Recycle Bin.
3. Delete from End User Recycle Bin Items.
4. Delete from "Deleted From End User Recycle Bin."

That's a lot of recycling! Once complete, I was able to delete the content type.

Solution 2

In addition to the recycling bins there's also the page called "Manage files which have no checked in version" under "Permissions and Management" on document libraries - the files in there can also prevent deletion of a content type.

Solution 3

this powershell script form this post also worked for me

$siteURL = "The Site url"
$contentType = "Content type Name"

$web = Get-SPWeb $siteURL
$ct = $web.ContentTypes[$contentType]

if ($ct) {
$ctusage = [Microsoft.SharePoint.SPContentTypeUsage]::GetUsages($ct)
      foreach ($ctuse in $ctusage) {
        $list = $web.GetList($ctuse.Url)
        $contentTypeCollection = $list.ContentTypes;
        $contentTypeCollection.Delete($contentTypeCollection[$contentType].Id);
        Write-host "Deleted $contentType content type from $ctuse.Url"
        }
$ct.Delete()
Write-host "Deleted $contentType from site."

} else { Write-host "Nothing to delete." }

$web.Dispose()

Comments

[skaz]

Thanks for saving me 6 more hours of frustration.

[barrypicker]

Couldn't get it to work, but now I know about the site collect recycle bin and the end user recycle bin at the site collection level!

[Alan M]

This worked for me when I had a site content type that would not delete even when I saw it was emptied out of all the recycle bins at every level.

[Vivek Ayer]

This worked for me after deleting all the recycle bins and I still could not delete it from the UI

[GBU]

Nice one, I had forgotten the CT in use on some subsite and the code pinpointed it to me. Just adding a little bit: The message inside the for-each should enclose $ctuse.Url in $() to show the URL where the CT is in use: $($ctuse.Url)

[Shayne]

Just so everyone knows, the (C#) code above is just a "copy/paste" of the one I mentioned (and included the URL for) in the OP. :)

[Chiramisu]

You can find additional causes in My Answer on the SharePoint SE. ;)