Unable to delete detached data store connections in ArcGIS Server

Description

In some instances, data stores can become detached when incorrectly moved to a new directory. However, attempts to delete detached data store connections in ArcGIS Server Manager fail. The data store connection is still present in ArcGIS Server Manager, but is not listed in the Manage Registered Data Stores pane in ArcGIS Pro.

Cause

The detached data store is not correctly unregistered before being moved or deleted. The data store still has dependencies with items stored in it, preventing the data store from being deleted. To prevent issues from happening when moving or deleting a data store, refer to ArcGIS Server: Unregister a data store for best practices.

Solution or Workaround

Note:
This workflow to remove a detached data store connection can only be followed if the name of the data store folder is known. Accidentally deleting the wrong folder may cause issues with the ArcGIS Enterprise deployment.

1. Stop the ArcGIS Server service.
   1. Right-click the Windows taskbar and click Task Manager to open Windows Task Manager.
   2. On the Services tab, right-click ArcGIS Server, and click Stop.
2. Navigate to the following directory on the machine:

<ArcGIS Server installation drive>\arcgisserver\config-store\data\enterpriseDatabases

3. In the enterpriseDatabases folder, delete the detached data store folder with the AGSDataStore_ds prefix.
4. Start the ArcGIS Server service.
   1. Right-click the taskbar and click Task Manager to open Windows Task Manager.
   2. On the Services tab, right-click ArcGIS Server, and click Start.