How to: Delete a File or Project

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Visual SourceSafe provides three commands that you can use remove a file or project from a database:

  • Delete.   This command removes the selected file or project from the database. When you delete a project, all its subprojects and their contained files are deleted as well. The deleted items remain in the database and in other projects that share them, and you can recover them later. You must have the Add/Rename/Delete project right to use this command.

  • Destroy.   This command is available through the Destroy Permanently check box available in the Delete dialog box. When you select this check box, you remove the selected file or project from the database permanently, and destroy any related history. You cannot recover an item that you have destroyed. You must have the Destroy project right to use this command.

  • Purge.   This command permanently removes a file or project that you have deleted, but have not destroyed. When you purge a deleted item, you cannot recover it. See How to: Purge Deleted Files and Projects.

If a file is shared by two or more projects, the deletion commands remove the file only from the currently selected project. The file remains in the other projects sharing it and in the Visual SourceSafe database.

To recover a deleted file or project, use the Recover command, as described in How to: Recover a Deleted Item. Another way to retrieve the item is to return to an earlier version.

To delete a file or project:

  1. In Visual SourceSafe Explorer, select a file or project to delete.

  2. On the File menu, click Delete.

  3. In the Delete dialog box, leave the Destroy Permanently check box unselected. For most deletions, you will want to keep deleted items so that they can be recovered later if necessary.

  4. Click OK.

To permanently destroy a file or project:

  1. In Visual SourceSafe Explorer, select a file or project to delete.

  2. On the File menu, click Delete.

  3. In the Delete dialog box, select the Destroy Permanently check box.

  4. Respond to prompts as required, and then click OK to close the dialog box

See Also

Tasks

How to: Purge Deleted Files and Projects
How to: Recover a Deleted Item

Reference

Delete Dialog Box (Explorer)