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Deleting Assets

xAssets IT Asset Management User Guide
Asset Management

Deleting Assets

Permanent deletion removes an asset record entirely from the database, including all its history, relationships, and associated data. This action cannot be undone -- the record can only be recovered through a database restore. In most cases, Disposal is the preferred approach because it preserves the record and its audit trail while removing the asset from active queries.

Prerequisites

  • In most installations, only users with Administrator privileges can permanently delete assets.
  • Ensure you genuinely need to remove the record. Disposal is almost always the better choice.

When to Delete vs. Dispose

Scenario Recommended Action
Asset sold, lost, stolen, or retired Dispose -- preserves history and audit trail
Duplicate record created by mistake Delete -- removes the erroneous record
Test data that should not remain in production Delete -- cleans up test records
Asset decommissioned but may need future reference Dispose -- keeps the record available for reporting

How to Delete an Asset

  1. Select the asset(s) in any results screen.
  2. Choose Disposal of or Delete Assets from the Actions on Selected Records menu.
  3. In the dialog that appears, check the Permanently Delete checkbox. When this checkbox is selected, the Status field is ignored -- the asset will be deleted regardless of the status value.

Screenshot

  1. Click OK to confirm. The asset is permanently removed from the database.

Warning: Deletion is irreversible. The asset record, its full change history, all related transactions, and any parent-child relationships are permanently removed. The only recovery method is restoring from a database backup. Always confirm you are deleting the correct records before clicking OK.

Tip: If you need to remove a large number of test or duplicate records, consider using Bulk Update to first set a distinguishing status (e.g., "To Be Deleted"), then filter by that status and delete in a controlled batch. This reduces the risk of accidentally deleting the wrong records.

What Happens After Deletion

  • The asset no longer appears in any query, report, or dashboard.
  • Any parent-child relationships involving the deleted asset are removed.
  • Financial transactions linked to the deleted asset are also removed.
  • The deletion is not logged in the asset's own history (since the record no longer exists), but it may appear in system audit logs if configured.
  • Disposal — the recommended alternative that preserves records and history
  • Un-Dispose — restoring a disposed asset to active status
  • Selecting Assets — how to select records before performing actions