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P4 Server Administration Documentation | 2026.1

# Delete a depot

If a depot was inadvertently created or its file content becomes obsolete, consider deleting that depot and all of its content.

## Prerequisite

1. Before you delete a depot,identify any of its changelists that have the status of shelved:

   p4 changes -s shelved //depot/...

2. Delete the shelved files from these changelists:

   p4 shelve -f -d -c 399 //depot/...

   where 399 represents a specific changelist number.

3. Delete the changelist:

   p4 change -d 399

## Delete a stream depot

Deleting a stream depot is different from deleting other types of depots.

1. Use the --obliterate option of the p4 stream command to permanently delete the stream from all metadata and remove the stream from pending and committed changelists:

       p4 stream --obliterate //stream-depot/stream

   If the stream is locked, include the `-f` option.

   The operation defaults to the report mode, which provides a preview of the result.

2. If you are certain that you want to proceed, include the `-y` option:

       p4 stream -y --obliterate //stream-depot/stream

3. When all the streams in the stream depot are removed, specify the stream depot to delete with the p4 depot command:

   `p4 depot -d `stream-depot``

## Delete other types of depots

If the depot is not a stream depot:

1. Remove all the files in the depot with the p4 obliterate command:

       p4 obliterate //depot/...

   If you obliterate a file and its history from a depot, the file and its history cannot be recovered.

   The operation defaults to the report mode, which provides a preview of the result.

2. If you are certain that you want to proceed, include the `-y` option.

       p4 obliterate -y //depot/...

3. To delete the depot, run the p4 depot command:

   `p4 depot -d `depot``

## Troubleshoot

1. If the `p4 depot -d `depot`` command fails, run p4 verify to ensure no files in the directory are required by the P4 Server and display a status of MISSING. If no files are missing, include the -f option:

   p4 depot -d -f depot

2. If `p4 depot -d `depot`` continues to fail, remove any orphaned files:

1. User the -l option of the p4 storage command:

   p4 storage -l start //depot/...

2. Look for state done in the output of this command:

   p4 storage -l status //depot/...

3. List any orphaned files:

   p4 storage -d //depot/...

4. Remove the orphaned files:

   p4 storage -dy //depot/...

5. Delete the depot:

   p4 depot -d -f depot

If you obliterated a file, but the file remains in a user's client workspace, it is because a user has the file open. Although the depot no longer has a record of the file, the user who has the file open can remove the file from their local workspace.

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