How To Fix 00838 - Deletion not possible; a background job still exists for folder &

00838 - Overview

• Message type: E = Error

• Message class: 00 -

• Message number: 838

• Message text: Deletion not possible; a background job still exists for folder &

What causes this issue?

Before the batch input folder &V1& can be deleted, the system searched
for the associated background (batch) jobs. While doing so, it found a
job whose status was not yet set to "Complete".
When this folder is deleted, the folder may be deleted in dialog mode or
in the background, AND the existing job may still be executed.
This could lead to multiple deletion of the folder, or to inconsistent
processing of the folder.

System Response

Folder &V1& cannot be deleted.

How to fix this error?

Analyze the relevant background job using transaction SM37:
Job name: ,,&V1&
User name: ,,&V2&
Planned start date: ,,&V3&
Planned start time: ,,&V4&

The system issues an error message and will not allow you to continue with this transaction until the error is resolved.

Check whether the job can still be run, and if it can, it does not need
to be deleted.
Otherwise delete the job and then try to delete the folder again.

Procedure for System Administrators

Error message extract from SAP system. Copyright SAP SE.

Smart SAP Assistant

• What is the cause and solution for SAP error message 00838 - Deletion not possible; a background job still exists for folder & ?

  The SAP error message "00838 Deletion not possible; a background job still exists for folder &" typically occurs when you attempt to delete a folder in the SAP system that is still associated with an active background job. This error is a safeguard to prevent the deletion of folders that are currently in use, which could lead to data inconsistency or loss.
  
  Cause:
  
  Active Background Job: The folder you are trying to delete is linked to a background job that is still running or has not been completed.
  Job Scheduling: The background job may have been scheduled to run at a specific time and is still in the queue or in progress.
  Job Dependencies: There may be dependencies on the folder that are preventing its deletion.
  
  
  Solution:
  To resolve this error, you can follow these steps:
  
  
  Check Background Jobs:
  
  Go to transaction code SM37 (Job Monitoring).
  Enter the relevant selection criteria (such as user, job name, or date) to