unable to delete recovery service vault.

Adam G 40 Reputation points
2025-11-20T13:44:07.3966667+00:00

I am unable to delete the Recovery Services Vault, and therefore the resource group under my free subscription also cannot be deleted.

Azure Backup
Azure Backup
An Azure backup service that provides built-in management at scale.
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  1. Naveena Patlolla 7,500 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2025-11-20T14:41:48.7033333+00:00

    Hi Adam G

    You cannot delete the Recovery Services Vault until all backup data and dependencies are removed. Even soft‑deleted items must be purged. Once the vault is empty, deletion will succeed, and you’ll then be able to remove the resource group.

    Possible issues and how to fix them:

    1)Soft delete still active: If an item shows as soft‑deleted, purge it from the item’s blade. If purge isn’t visible, check your role; you need sufficient permissions (Backup Contributor or higher on the vault).

    2)In-progress jobs: Active backup or cleanup jobs prevent deletion; wait for completion or cancel if appropriate.

    3)Policy attached to a hidden item: Sometimes items appear under a different workload type (e.g., Azure Files vs. VM). Recheck all categories under Backup items.

    4)Site Recovery leftovers: Disable replication and delete recovery plans; also check any paired resources (like ASR-created network mappings) if prompted during cleanup.

    5)Locks on the resource or group: Remove Read Only/Delete locks.

    6)Permissions: Ensure your account has Owner or Contributor on the resource group and Backup Contributor on the vault.

    If deletion still fails:

    Open the vault -> Activity log and copy the exact error message. It usually names the dependency (e.g., a specific backup item or replicated VM).

    Please let me know if you face any challenge here, I can help you to resolve this issue further

    Provide your valuable Comments.

    Please do not forget to "Accept the answer” and “upvote it” wherever the information provided helps you, this can be beneficial to other community members.it would be greatly appreciated and helpful to others.

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  1. Q&A Assist
    2025-11-20T13:44:25.9366667+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more

    To delete a Recovery Services Vault in Azure, you need to ensure that all dependencies are removed first. Here are the steps you can follow:

    1. Check for Backup Items: Go to the vault and verify that there are no backup items, backup management servers, or replicated items listed. If there are any, you will need to delete them first.
    2. Stop Protection: If there are existing backup items, you can stop protection and delete the backup data by using the Azure CLI command:
         az backup protection disable --container-name <container-name> --item-name <item-name> --delete-backup-data true --vault-name <vault-name> --resource-group <resource-group>
      
    3. Delete the Vault: Once all dependencies are cleared, you can delete the vault using the Azure portal or the Azure CLI. In the portal, navigate to the vault and select Delete. If using CLI, the command is:
         az backup vault delete --name <vault-name> --resource-group <resource-group> --yes
      
    4. Check for Other Dependencies: Ensure there are no registered storage accounts or private endpoints associated with the vault. Unregister any storage accounts if necessary.
    5. Multi-User Authorization: If Multi-User Authorization is enabled, ensure you have the necessary permissions to delete the vault.

    If you are still unable to delete the vault after following these steps, you may need to use the ARMClient tool to force the deletion after confirming that all dependencies are indeed removed.


    References:

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