Unlocking SharePoint 2019 Sites: A Step-by-Step PowerShell Guide

When maintenance or updates are complete, or if you've mistakenly locked site collections, you'll need to unlock them.

Here’s how you can use PowerShell to unlock all site collections within a SharePoint 2019 on-premises web application efficiently.

Prerequisites

• Environment: The script should be run in the SharePoint Management Shell.
• Permissions: You must have administrative rights to manage site collections.

Script Configuration
Configure the following variables before executing the script:

• $webAppUrl: Enter the URL of your SharePoint web application (e.g., http://your-webapp-url).
• $outputFile: Specify the path for saving the CSV report (e.g., C:\UnlockedSitesReport.csv).

How the Script Functions

1. Load SharePoint Snap-In: Ensures the SharePoint PowerShell snap-in is available.
2. Define Variables: Sets up the web application URL and the path for the CSV output.
3. Initialize Report Array: Prepares $siteStatusList for storing unlock status information.
4. Loop Through Site Collections:
   • For each site:
     • Checks if the site is already unlocked (-not ($site.ReadOnly -or $site.WriteLocked)).
     • If locked, it removes the restrictions by setting both ReadOnly and WriteLocked to false.
     • Records the site's URL, unlock status, and the timestamp.
5. Export to CSV: Generates a report of the unlock actions taken.

CSV Report Details

• URL: URL of each site collection.
• LockStatus: Whether the site was "Already Unlocked" or "Unlocked" during script execution.
• TimeUnlocked: The time when the unlock occurred or was verified.

The Script

# Load SharePoint PowerShell snap-in if not loaded
if ((Get-PSSnapin -Name Microsoft.SharePoint.PowerShell -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) -eq $null) {
    Add-PSSnapin Microsoft.SharePoint.PowerShell
}

# Define the URL of your web application
$webAppUrl = "http://your-webapp-url"
# Define the output CSV file path
$outputFile = "C:\UnlockedSitesReport.csv"

# Initialize an array to store site information
$siteStatusList = @()

# Get the Web Application object
$webApp = Get-SPWebApplication $webAppUrl

# Iterate through each site collection in the web application
foreach ($site in $webApp.Sites) {
    try {
        # Check if the site is already unlocked (not ReadOnly and not WriteLocked)
        $isAlreadyUnlocked = -not ($site.ReadOnly -or $site.WriteLocked)
        $lockStatus = if ($isAlreadyUnlocked) { "Already Unlocked" } else { "Unlocked" }
        
        # If not already unlocked, remove the lock by setting ReadOnly and WriteLocked to false
        if (!$isAlreadyUnlocked) {
            $site.ReadOnly = $false
            $site.WriteLocked = $false
            $site.Update()
        }

        # Collect site information for the CSV report
        $siteStatusList += [PSCustomObject]@{
            URL           = $site.Url
            LockStatus    = $lockStatus
            TimeUnlocked  = Get-Date -Format "yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss"
        }

        Write-Host "$lockStatus for site collection:" $site.Url -ForegroundColor Green
    }
    catch {
        Write-Host "Failed to process site collection:" $site.Url -ForegroundColor Red
    }
    finally {
        # Dispose of the site object to free up resources
        $site.Dispose()
    }
}

# Export the site status list to a CSV file
$siteStatusList | Export-Csv -Path $outputFile -NoTypeInformation -Encoding UTF8

Write-Host "All site collections in the web application have been processed. Report saved to $outputFile" -ForegroundColor Cyan

Additional Resources
For more scripts and tools tailored for SharePoint management, visit my GitHub repository at: MuckyRat/SharePoint-Server-UnlockSites.

This script serves as an essential tool for SharePoint administrators needing to restore access to their site collections after a period of lock-down, ensuring users can resume their work without delay.

Remember, always test scripts in a safe environment before applying them in production.