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P4 Server Administration Documentation | 2026.1

# Forcing operations with the -f flag

Certain commands support the `-f` flag, which enables P4 Server administrators and superusers to force certain operations unavailable to ordinary users. P4 Server administrators can use this flag with `p4 branch`, `p4 change`, `p4 client`, `p4 job`, `p4 label`, and p4 unlock. P4 Server superusers can also use it to override the `p4 user` command.

Command | Syntax | Function
--- | --- | ---
`p4 branch` | `p4 branch -f `branchname`` | Allows the modification date to be changed while editing the branch mapping
| `p4 branch -f -d `branchname`` | Deletes the branch, ignoring ownership
`p4 change` | `p4 change -f [changelist#]` | Allows the modification date to be changed while editing the changelist specification
| `p4 change -f `changelist#`` | Allows the description field and username in a committed changelist to be edited
| `p4 change -f -d `changelist#`` | Deletes empty, committed changelists
`p4 client` | `p4 client -f `clientname`` | Allows the modification date to be changed while editing the client specification
| `p4 client -f -d `clientname`` | Deletes the client, ignoring ownership, even if the client has opened files
`p4 job` | `p4 job -f [jobname]` | Allows the manual update of read-only fields
`p4 label` | `p4 label -f `labelname`` | Allows the modification date to be changed while editing the label specification
| `p4 label -f -d `labelname`` | Deletes the label, ignoring ownership
`p4 unlock` | `p4 unlock -c changelist -f `file`` | Releases a lock (set with `p4 lock`) on an open file in a pending numbered changelist, ignoring ownership
`p4 user` | `p4 user -f `username`` | Allows the update of all fields, ignoring ownership This command requires `super` access.
| `p4 user -f -d `username`` | Deletes the user, ignoring ownership This command requires `super` access.

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