COMPLETLY deleting a mailbox instantly without deleing the user - Exchange 2007
Hi all I had an issue today where i needed to create a new mailbox for a user. So i had to delete the user and recreat a new mailbox for her. I removed the mailbox TG in the console and tried to create a new mailbox called TG but i couldn't see the user when i chose to create it for a exsiting user. I suspected this was because the TG mailbox wasn't completly deleted but was still in retention and so i couldn't create the new TG mailbox, probler due to recovery problemes if i ever wanted to recreate the removed mailbox. I tried using the remove-mail powershell command or what ever its called but that allso removed the user account.. if i don't have time to wait for retention period to really delete the removed mailbox how would i go about deleting the mailbox completly wihtout deleting the user. I read someone saying you could do it by installing the exchange mangement console on your AD server and the remove the mailbox from the AD user account but im not sure this is true and if it is are there any other way? Sincerly Casper
December 1st, 2010 11:24am

You will want to use the Disable option in the EMC instead of the Remove option (and the EMC doesn't have to be installed on a DC). This will just delete the mailbox from the AD account and will not delete the user. Once this is done, you will need to run the following command (if you don't want to wait for the nightly maitenance process): Clean-MailboxDatabase “Server\Storage Group\DatabaseName” After this, you can create a fresh mailbox for the existing AD user. More info: http://howdouc.blogspot.com/2010/07/disconnected-mailboxes-in-exchange.html http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa998319(EXCHG.80).aspxTim Harrington - Catapult Systems - http://HowDoUC.blogspot.com
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December 1st, 2010 9:11pm

On Wed, 1 Dec 2010 16:16:19 +0000, CasperDK wrote: >I had an issue today where i needed to create a new mailbox for a user. So i had to delete the user and recreat a new mailbox for her. Deleting the user account was probably a mistake. All you needed to do was disable the mailbox from the EMC. >I removed the mailbox TG in the console and tried to create a new mailbox called TG but i couldn't see the user when i chose to create it for a exsiting user. I suspected this was because the TG mailbox wasn't completly deleted but was still in retention and so i couldn't create the new TG mailbox, probler due to recovery problemes if i ever wanted to recreate the removed mailbox. "Remove" doesn't just disable a mailbox, it removes the user object from the AD. >I tried using the remove-mail powershell command or what ever its called but that allso removed the user account.. > >if i don't have time to wait for retention period to really delete the removed mailbox how would i go about deleting the mailbox completly wihtout deleting the user. You can use the Clean-MailboxDatabase cmdlet to have the disconnected mailboxes appear in the "disconnected mailboxes" container in the EMC. It's faster than waiting for the IS to do it on its scheduled refresh. >I read someone saying you could do it by installing the exchange mangement console on your AD server and the remove the mailbox from the AD user account but im not sure this is true and if it is are there any other way? It doesn't matter where the action takes place, it's still the same AD. --- Rich Matheisen MCSE+I, Exchange MVP --- Rich Matheisen MCSE+I, Exchange MVP
December 1st, 2010 9:24pm

Thanks to the both of you... I see now the Clean-MailboxDatabase “Server\Storage Group\DatabaseName” is the way to go... my bad :P
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December 6th, 2010 4:55am

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