Applies to: Exchange Server 2010 SP3, Exchange Server 2010 SP2

Topic Last Modified: 2012-11-30

Use the Remove-RemoteMailbox cmdlet to remove a mail-enabled user in the on-premises Active Directory and its associated mailbox in the cloud-based service.

Syntax

Remove-RemoteMailbox -Identity <RemoteMailboxIdParameter> [-Confirm [<SwitchParameter>]] [-DomainController <Fqdn>] [-IgnoreDefaultScope <SwitchParameter>] [-IgnoreLegalHold <SwitchParameter>] [-WhatIf [<SwitchParameter>]]

Detailed Description

Use the Remove-RemoteMailbox cmdlet if you want to remove an on-premises mail-enabled user and its mailbox from the service. If you want only to remove the mailbox from the service and keep the associated on-premises user, use the Disable-RemoteMailbox cmdlet.

Directory synchronization must be configured correctly for a mailbox to be removed from the service. Removal of the mailbox from the service isn't immediate. It depends on the directory synchronization schedule.

For more information about remote mailboxes, see Understanding Recipients.

You need to be assigned permissions before you can run this cmdlet. Although all parameters for this cmdlet are listed in this topic, you may not have access to some parameters if they're not included in the permissions assigned to you. To see what permissions you need, see the "Remote mailboxes" entry in the Mailbox Permissions topic.

Parameters

Parameter Required Type Description

Identity

Required

Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.RemoteMailboxIdParameter

The Identity parameter identifies the mail-enabled user and its associated mailbox in the service that you want to remove. You can use one of the following values:

  • ADObjectID

  • Distinguished name (DN)

  • Legacy DN

  • GUID

  • Domain\Account name

  • User principal name (UPN)

  • E-mail address

  • Alias

Confirm

Optional

System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter

The Confirm switch causes the command to pause processing and requires you to acknowledge what the command will do before processing continues. You don't have to specify a value with the Confirm switch.

DomainController

Optional

Microsoft.Exchange.Data.Fqdn

The DomainController parameter specifies the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of the domain controller that writes this configuration change to Active Directory.

IgnoreDefaultScope

Optional

System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter

The IgnoreDefaultScope parameter instructs the command to ignore the default recipient scope setting for the Exchange Management Shell session and use the entire forest as the scope. This allows the command to access Active Directory objects that aren't currently in the default scope. Using the IgnoreDefaultScope parameter introduces the following restrictions:

  • You can't use the DomainController parameter. The command uses an appropriate global catalog server automatically.

  • You can only use the DN for the Identity parameter. Other forms of identification, such as alias or GUID, aren't accepted.

IgnoreLegalHold

Optional

System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter

The IgnoreLegalHold switch ignores the legal hold status of the mailbox user and allows you to remove the cloud mailbox that’s on legal hold.

Warning:
After you remove a mailbox, you can’t include it in a discovery search. Depending on the command parameters you use, removed mailboxes are either purged immediately or when the deleted mailbox retention period expires. To learn more, see Understanding Disconnected Mailboxes. Check with your organization’s legal or Human Resources department before disabling a mailbox that’s on legal hold.

WhatIf

Optional

System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter

The WhatIf switch instructs the command to simulate the actions that it would take on the object. By using the WhatIf switch, you can view what changes would occur without having to apply any of those changes. You don't have to specify a value with the WhatIf switch.

Input Types

To see the input types that this cmdlet accepts, see Cmdlet Input and Output Types. If the Input Type field for a cmdlet is blank, the cmdlet doesn’t accept input data.

Return Types

To see the return types, which are also known as output types, that this cmdlet accepts, see Cmdlet Input and Output Types. If the Output Type field is blank, the cmdlet doesn’t return data.

Examples

EXAMPLE 1

This example removes the on-premises mail-enabled user Kim Akers and the associated mailbox from the service. This example assumes directory synchronization has been configured.

Copy Code 
Remove-RemoteMailbox "Kim Akers"