How To Fix 5W056 - Instances exist for the workflow version chosen.

5W056 - Overview

• Message type: E = Error

• Message class: 5W - Messages for PD (Particularly Workflow)

• Message number: 056

• Message text: Instances exist for the workflow version chosen.

What causes this issue?

The workflow version you have chosen still has instances that have yet
to be processed. This problem can also occur if the version you have
chosen is no longer the active version. This prevents you from deleting
the version.

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

System Response

How to fix this error?

Error message extract from SAP system. Copyright SAP SE.

Smart SAP Assistant

• What is the cause and solution for SAP error message 5W056 - Instances exist for the workflow version chosen. ?

  The SAP error message 5W056 indicates that there are existing instances of a workflow for the version you are trying to use. This typically occurs when you attempt to change or delete a workflow version that is currently in use or has active instances.
  
  Cause:
  
  Active Workflow Instances: The primary cause of this error is that there are one or more active instances of the workflow that you are trying to modify or delete.
  Versioning Issues: You may be trying to activate a new version of a workflow while instances of the previous version are still running.
  Workflow Configuration: There may be configuration settings that prevent the modification of a workflow that has active instances.
  
  
  Solution:
  To resolve this error, you can take the following steps:
  
  
  Check Active Instances:
  
  Use transaction code SWI1 (Work Item Selection) to check for any active instances of the workflow. You can filter by the workflow ID to see if there are any