How To Fix R9166 - Element &1 not deleted because it is still being used

R9166 - Overview

• Message type: E = Error

• Message class: R9 - Business Explorer

• Message number: 166

• Message text: Element &1 not deleted because it is still being used

Self-Explanatory Message

Since SAP believes that this specific error message is 'self-explanatory,' no more information has been given.The majority of messages in the SAP system have a message text, however this is frequently insufficient to comprehend or resolve the problem.

To make things easier, more detailed information is frequently added to describe the issue, how to fix it, and the necessary steps or configuration modifications.

Unfortunately, there isn't any extra information in this error notice.

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Smart SAP Assistant

• What is the cause and solution for SAP error message R9166 - Element &1 not deleted because it is still being used ?

  The SAP error message R9166 indicates that a specific element (such as a characteristic, class, or other object) cannot be deleted because it is still in use within the system. This is a common issue when trying to clean up or reorganize data in SAP, particularly in modules like SAP MM (Materials Management), SAP SD (Sales and Distribution), or SAP PP (Production Planning).
  
  Cause:
  The error occurs when:
  
  The element you are trying to delete is still referenced in other objects or transactions.
  There are existing dependencies or links to the element in various configurations, master data, or transactional data.
  The element may be part of a class or hierarchy that is still active.
  
  
  Solution:
  To resolve this error, you can follow these steps:
  
  
  Identify Dependencies:
  
  Use transaction codes like SE11 (Data Dictionary) or SE80 (Object Navigator) to check where the element is being used.
  Look for references in related tables or objects. For example, if it’s a characteristic, check