[ARCHIVED] Deleting submissions

[mac79]

Is there a way to delete files on canvas once they have been uploaded?

I have duplicates that I want to delete.

[Stef_retired · Accepted solution]

Hi,  @mac79  Welcome to the Canvas Community! You didn't say if you were an instructor or a student, but since you used the word "submissions" in your question title, I'm going to go with that first. You cannot delete files that you've submitted to an assignment. If you have files to delete that aren't associated with assignment instructions, review How do I use Files as a student? , and then follow the instructions in How do I delete a file or folder as a student? 

If you're an instructor, you can click on Files in the course navigation and click on a particular file; the trash can icon will appear in the bar at the top, and you can click on the icon to delete it. You can delete multiple files this way as well. Follow the instructions in https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-10000-415241388 to delete a file or folder, or to select multiple files or folders to delete.

[mac79 · Accepted solution]

There is no trash or delete option when I look at my files. See attachment.

I am a student and I was having a great deal of trouble uploading my

assignment.

I have not had this trouble before although I am using Linux. Something

seems

to have changed. I ended up uploading multiple copies of my assignment but

none

of them were visible to the teacher. I then went to a MAC and was able to

upload them

but in the process I have multiple copies of the assignment and some in the

wrong

lesson area. She is very confused so I wanted to clean it up and delete

some copies.

it seems that I am unable to delete any files.

Martha Cunningham

On Fri, Jun 2, 2017 at 2:34 PM, chofer@morainepark.edu <

[kona · Accepted solution]

 @mac79 ‌, if these are files you submitted to assignments then no, you (or even your teacher) can't delete them. 

[rarook · Accepted solution]

Is there a way to rename or altogether prevent Canvas from altering the name of a file that you have submitted twice? After uploading a file with the same name for a second time on an assignment submission, it added a "-1" to the end of the file name. I understand this is meant to be helpful, but the file submitted was a java program file that will not compile or run correctly if the file name is altered. Instructors or TA's grading these kinds of assignments may not notice that this was automatically added to the end of the file name, and it could cause issues for students.

[doug_girard · Accepted solution]

Yes, I agree. As a teacher, I have found it is common for students to mistakenly submit their work under the wrong assignment. There is no way to correct this currently, as teacher or student. 

[Adabhael · Accepted solution]

How is "no you cannot do that" the solution?

I understand that it is true, but this is not "solved" this is, at best, denied.

[Stef_retired · Accepted solution]

Hi,  @mac79  Welcome to the Canvas Community! You didn't say if you were an instructor or a student, but since you used the word "submissions" in your question title, I'm going to go with that first. You cannot delete files that you've submitted to an assignment. If you have files to delete that aren't associated with assignment instructions, review How do I use Files as a student? , and then follow the instructions in How do I delete a file or folder as a student? 

If you're an instructor, you can click on Files in the course navigation and click on a particular file; the trash can icon will appear in the bar at the top, and you can click on the icon to delete it. You can delete multiple files this way as well. Follow the instructions in https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-10000-415241388 to delete a file or folder, or to select multiple files or folders to delete.

[mac79 · Accepted solution]

There is no trash or delete option when I look at my files. See attachment.

I am a student and I was having a great deal of trouble uploading my

assignment.

I have not had this trouble before although I am using Linux. Something

seems

to have changed. I ended up uploading multiple copies of my assignment but

none

of them were visible to the teacher. I then went to a MAC and was able to

upload them

but in the process I have multiple copies of the assignment and some in the

wrong

lesson area. She is very confused so I wanted to clean it up and delete

some copies.

it seems that I am unable to delete any files.

Martha Cunningham

On Fri, Jun 2, 2017 at 2:34 PM, chofer@morainepark.edu <

[kona · Accepted solution]

 @mac79 ‌, if these are files you submitted to assignments then no, you (or even your teacher) can't delete them. 

[Adabhael · Accepted solution]

How is "no you cannot do that" the solution?

I understand that it is true, but this is not "solved" this is, at best, denied.

[rarook · Accepted solution]

Is there a way to rename or altogether prevent Canvas from altering the name of a file that you have submitted twice? After uploading a file with the same name for a second time on an assignment submission, it added a "-1" to the end of the file name. I understand this is meant to be helpful, but the file submitted was a java program file that will not compile or run correctly if the file name is altered. Instructors or TA's grading these kinds of assignments may not notice that this was automatically added to the end of the file name, and it could cause issues for students.

[dan_stone_ky]

So..... let's add this to the list of needed Canvas functionality. I.e.,

1. instructors can delete mistakenly submitted assignments, 

2. there is a transaction log stored that can be followed to the deleted file and the record of its deletion. 

[swinter]

I am going to add this as a feature request. I have a couple of students for whom I had to resubmit assignments several times as there is a bug in Canvas that could not read the file correctly in speedgrader. I finally got a working version loaded, but want to delete all of the bad versions. I think the admin should have the ability to delete submissions (and so should the student). Otherwise, it is very hard to tell which is the good version.

[julie_ryan]

This would be a very helpful feature. As the Canvas administrator on campus, I have faculty contact me several times each semester to ask to have submissions removed on behalf of their students. Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do. 

[doug_girard · Accepted solution]

Yes, I agree. As a teacher, I have found it is common for students to mistakenly submit their work under the wrong assignment. There is no way to correct this currently, as teacher or student. 

[clay_elmore]

I definitely need this feature. We're not a 1:1 campus so students share devices, and on rare occasions have accidentally submitted an assignment while logged in as someone else. In these cases, it's detrimental to not have the ability to remove that submission.

[kona]

 @clay_elmore , you might be interested in voting and commenting on this feature idea - https://community.canvaslms.com/ideas/10251-allow-students-to-delete-ungraded-submissions" modifiedt....

[pecchiog]

So if I'm clear--when I delete an entire module, I'm not actually deleting the "pages" in that module. They still live under the Pages area. But if there are assignments or other things in the module, I would be deleting them or I would be deleting the link to them? 

[kona]

The only thing that is actually deleted when deleting a Module are text headers, URL links, links to LTI’s. Otherwise, everything is still there in your course, just under pages, files, assignments, discussions, or quizzes. 

[zwenneke]

It is a pity that this did not change yet. I think students are able by now to do it, but teacher still can't.... Would make my life so much easier....

[lms_jsblack2]

Hi y'all!
I just want to confirm if either user (student or instructor) has the ability to delete assignment submissions. I student in a group that has a duplicate assignment submission and the latter is coming up as a plagiarized assignment.
Thank you

[Erik67]

I am an instructor and occasionally need to delete a file uploaded by a student under assignments. For instance the file is inappropriate in some way. I don't see a solution except deleting the entire assignment.

[PMH · Accepted solution]

I am concerned that it is impossible for faculty or students to delete files submitted to an Assignment Dropbox. This likely violates University privacy policies. It certainly violates my own policies as I take student privacy very seriously.

• A student (or I) could inadvertently/mistakenly submit a confidential or proprietary file to an Assignment Dropbox on the Canvas course site. In the past, I have had multiple students submit their confidential peer evaluation to a team Dropbox on our Desire2Learn course management system. Fortunately, I was able to delete those files before team members saw those confidential files. Canvas has no such protection as instructors can't delete student submitted files.  
• There must be a way for instructors to delete files on Canvas. Instructors must be able to delete student submission files without having to seek the assistance of a campus administrator. Please fix this.