“The File Cannot Be Checked In” – Troubleshooting Guide for SharePoint

When working with SharePoint, you might encounter an error message:
“The file cannot be checked in.”

This issue occurs when attempting to check in a document after editing, preventing you from making your changes available to others.

Possible Causes:

✔ Lack of permissions to check in files
✔ Document is locked or still open in an application
✔ Network or synchronization issues (OneDrive sync errors)
✔ Document is required to have metadata before check-in
✔ File is already checked in or has been deleted by another user
✔ SharePoint document library versioning issues

This guide will help you diagnose and resolve the problem step by step.

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Step 1: Confirm the Document’s Checkout Status

Before checking in the document, ensure it is actually checked out to you.

How to Verify Check-Out Status:

1. Open the SharePoint Document Library.
2. Look for the document and check if there is a red checkmark (✔️) next to it.
3. Click the “i” (Information) icon in the right panel.
4. Look under “Checked out to” to see if your name is listed.

✔ Solution:

• If the document is not checked out to you, you cannot check it in.
• If another user has it checked out, request them to check it in or ask an admin to force check-in (See Step 6).

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Step 2: Ensure the Document Is Not Open in Another Application

Sometimes, SharePoint locks the file if it is still open in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or another Office application.

How to Close the File Properly:

1. Save and close the file in Microsoft Office.
2. Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc on Windows) or Activity Monitor (Mac).
3. Look for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or other Office processes.
4. Right-click on the process and select End Task (Windows) or Force Quit (Mac).

✔ Solution:

• Restart the application and try checking in the document again.

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Step 3: Check If You Have the Correct Permissions

If you do not have edit permissions, SharePoint will block the check-in process.

How to Check Permissions:

1. Right-click the document and select Manage Access.
2. If you only see View permissions, you cannot check in the document.
3. Ask your SharePoint Administrator to grant you Edit or Contribute permissions.

✔ Solution:

• Request Edit permissions and try checking in again.

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Step 4: Ensure Required Metadata Is Entered

If your SharePoint library requires metadata (such as title, category, or tags) before checking in, the file will fail to check in.

How to Check Metadata Requirements:

1. Open the Document Library.
2. Click on the document and select Details (i icon).
3. Look for any required fields marked with an asterisk (*).
4. Fill in the missing metadata.

✔ Solution:

• Once required metadata is added, try checking in the file again.

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Step 5: Use the “Discard Check Out” Option (If Needed)

If a file is stuck in checkout mode, you may need to discard the check-out before attempting to check in again.

How to Discard Check Out:

1. Open the SharePoint Document Library.
2. Select the file, then click More Options (•••) > Discard Check Out.
3. Confirm the action.

✔ Solution:

• After discarding checkout, try checking out and checking in the file again.

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Step 6: Force Check-In (Admin Only)

If the file is checked out by another user who is unavailable, an admin can force check-in the document.

How to Force Check-In a Document in SharePoint:

1. Navigate to the Document Library.
2. Click on Library Settings (Gear Icon > Library Settings).
3. Select Manage Files Which Have No Checked In Version.
4. Find the file and force check it in.

Force Check-In Using PowerShell (Admin Only):

1. Open PowerShell as an Administrator.
2. Connect to SharePoint Online: Connect-SPOService -Url https://yourtenant-admin.sharepoint.com
3. 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 further modifications.

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Step 7: Check OneDrive Sync Issues

If the document is synced to OneDrive, a sync error may prevent it from checking in.

How to Check OneDrive Sync Issues:

1. Click on the OneDrive icon in the system tray (Windows) or menu bar (Mac).
2. Look for any sync error messages.
3. Click “Resolve Sync Conflicts” if an issue is detected.

✔ Solution:

• Restart OneDrive: Right-click OneDrive > Quit OneDrive > Open it again.
• Pause and resume sync, then try checking in the file again.

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Step 8: Try a Different Browser or Clear Cache

A browser cache issue may prevent check-in from working correctly.

Clear Browser Cache (Chrome, Edge, Firefox):

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + Delete (Mac).
2. Select Cached images and files and Clear Data.

Try Another Browser:

• If the issue persists, test in Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Firefox.

✔ Solution:

• A different browser or a cleared cache may resolve check-in issues.

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Step 9: Check SharePoint Storage and Versioning Settings

If SharePoint is low on storage, it may prevent check-in due to versioning limits.

How to Check Storage Usage:

1. Open SharePoint Admin Center.
2. Navigate to Sites > Active Sites.
3. Check the storage usage.

Solution:

• If storage is full, delete unused files or increase storage quota.

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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
📌 Screenshot of the error message
📌 Steps you have already tried
📌 Name and type of the affected document

📞 For Microsoft 365 Users: Contact Microsoft via Admin Center.

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Final Summary & Solutions

🔹 If another user checked out the file: Ask them to check it in or force check-in (Admin required).
🔹 If the file is open in an app: Close the file and restart Office applications.
🔹 If metadata is required: Fill in missing fields before check-in.
🔹 If OneDrive sync is causing issues: Restart OneDrive and resolve sync conflicts.
🔹 If your browser is causing issues: Clear cache or try another browser.
🔹 If SharePoint is out of storage: Free up space or increase quota.

Would you like additional help with PowerShell commands or OneDrive troubleshooting?