“Document Checkout Failed” – Troubleshooting Guide for SharePoint
When trying to check out a document in SharePoint, you may receive the error message:
“Document checkout failed”
This means that SharePoint is unable to check out the document, preventing you from making exclusive edits.
This issue may be caused by:
- Lack of necessary permissions
- Another user already checking out the document
- Document being locked due to versioning settings
- A synchronization error with OneDrive
- Network issues affecting SharePoint Online
This step-by-step guide will help you diagnose and resolve the problem.
Step 1: Confirm If the Document Is Already Checked Out
If another user has already checked out the document, you cannot check it out until they check it back in.
How to Check If a Document Is Checked Out
- Navigate to the SharePoint document library.
- Look for a red checkmark (✔️) next to the document name—this indicates that it is checked out.
- Hover over the document and click on More details to see who has checked it out.
Solution
- If the document is checked out by someone else, ask them to check it in or discard the checkout.
- If they are unavailable, a SharePoint Administrator can force check-in the document. (See Step 5)
Step 2: Ensure You Have the Correct Permissions
If you do not have the required permissions, SharePoint will block the checkout process.
Check Your Permissions
- Right-click the document and select Manage Access.
- Ensure that you have Edit or Contribute permissions.
- If you see Read-Only access, you cannot check out the document.
Solution
- Request Edit permissions from your SharePoint Administrator.
- If your access was recently changed, log out and log back in to refresh permissions.
Step 3: Check Versioning Settings in the Document Library
If versioning settings are configured to require checkout, then only certain users may be allowed to check out the file.
How to Check Versioning Settings
- Go to the Document Library where the file is stored.
- Click on Library Settings (gear icon ⚙️ > Library settings).
- Under Versioning Settings, check if Require documents to be checked out before they can be edited is enabled.
Solution
- If this setting is causing issues, disable it and test again.
- Contact your SharePoint administrator if you cannot change these settings.
Step 4: Ensure the Document Is Not Open in Another Application
Sometimes, SharePoint may fail to check out a document if it is already open in Microsoft Word, Excel, or another Office application.
How to Check If the Document Is Open
- Close all Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
- Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc on Windows) or Activity Monitor (Mac).
- Look for processes like WinWord.exe, Excel.exe, PowerPoint.exe, and end the task if needed.
Solution
- After closing all applications, try checking out the document again.
- If you were using OneDrive Sync, restart OneDrive and retry.
Step 5: Force Check-In the Document (Admin Only)
If a document is stuck in checked-out mode, a SharePoint Administrator can force check it in.
Force Check-In from SharePoint Online
- Open the Document Library where the file is located.
- Click the Gear Icon (⚙️) > Library Settings.
- Under Manage Files, click “Manage checked-out files”.
- Locate the document and force check-in the file.
Force Check-In via PowerShell (Admin Only)
- Open PowerShell as Administrator.
- Connect to SharePoint Online:
Connect-SPOService -Url https://yourtenant-admin.sharepoint.com - Force check-in the document:
Set-PnPFileCheckedIn -Url "https://yourtenant.sharepoint.com/sites/YourSite/Documents/YourFile.docx"
✔ Solution: This will force check-in the file, allowing you to check it out again.
Step 6: Check for Sync Issues in OneDrive
If you are using OneDrive Sync and checking out a document, a sync issue may prevent checkout.
How to Check Sync Issues
- Click the OneDrive icon in the system tray (Windows) or menu bar (Mac).
- Look for any red error messages.
- If the document is stuck, click “Resolve sync conflicts”.
Solution
- Restart OneDrive: Right-click the OneDrive icon > Quit OneDrive > Reopen it.
- Try pausing and resuming sync.
Step 7: Try a Different Browser or Clear Cache
Sometimes, browser cache issues can prevent a document from checking out.
Clear Browser Cache
- Open your browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox).
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + Delete (Mac).
- Select Cached images and files, then click Clear data.
Try Another Browser
- If clearing cache doesn’t work, try using another browser.
- Recommended: Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox.
✔ Solution: A different browser may bypass the checkout issue.
Step 8: Restart Your Internet Connection
A slow or unstable internet connection can interrupt the checkout process.
Check Your Internet Speed
- Visit SpeedTest.net.
- Check if your upload speed is at least 5–10 Mbps.
✔ Solution:
- Restart your router and try again.
- Switch to a wired connection (Ethernet) if possible.
Step 9: Check If SharePoint Services Are Down
If SharePoint Online is experiencing server issues, checkout may fail.
Check Microsoft Service Status
- Go to Microsoft Service Health.
- Look for any SharePoint Online outages.
✔ Solution: If SharePoint is down, wait for Microsoft to resolve the issue.
Step 10: Contact IT Support or Microsoft Support
If none of the above steps resolve the issue, contact your IT support team or Microsoft Support.
✅ Information to Provide to Support
- SharePoint Site URL
- Error message (Screenshot recommended)
- Steps already taken
- Affected document name and type
📞 For Microsoft 365 Users: Contact Microsoft via the Admin Center.
Final Thoughts
🔹 For Permission Issues: Request Edit or Contribute access.
🔹 For Checked-Out Documents: Ask the user to check in the document or force check it in (Admin).
🔹 For OneDrive Issues: Restart sync and clear conflicts.
🔹 For Network Issues: Test your internet speed and restart your router.
🔹 For Browser Issues: Clear cache or try a different browser.
Would you like help with PowerShell scripts or OneDrive sync troubleshooting?