Remove SharePoint list column.

Question

Hello

Please i need your help on this issue.

Initially, it was about backing up data via AvePoint (your Microsoft Alliance Partner for 20 years) because a problem message was triggered in the backup of 179 lists in SharePoint.

The lists have a field "SMLastModifiedDate" that blocks the backup. We tried to delete the field/column from the lists but received an error (visible in the recording). If we can delete the field, we will be one step further.

Either the backup in AvePoint should run without errors, or at least the column should be deleted.

We receive errors when backing up the lists. The column cannot be deleted.

We first noticed the problem in October 2024 when setting up the backup.

The backup via AvePoint does not run for the mentioned 179 lists. The problem affects the lists, not the users.

it has not worked since October 2024, and we did not notice it before.

Answer 1

Hi @IniobongNkanga-8038 ,

To remove a column from a SharePoint list, you typically need to ensure that the column is not being used in any views or is not a required field. If you are encountering errors when attempting to delete the "SMLastModifiedDate" column, it may be due to it being a system column or having dependencies that prevent its deletion.

Here are some general steps you can follow to attempt to remove the column:

1. Check Dependencies: Ensure that the column is not being used in any views, workflows, or calculated fields.
2. Remove from Views: If the column is included in any list views, remove it from those views.
3. Check Column Settings: Go to the list settings and check if the column is set as required. If it is, you will need to change it to optional before deletion.

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