Applies to: Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Online

Topic Last Modified: 2012-10-16

Use the Disable-Mailbox cmdlet to disable the mailbox of an existing user, InetOrgPerson object, or public folder mailbox and remove that object's Exchange attributes from Active Directory. The user account associated with the mailbox remains in Active Directory, but it's no longer associated with a mailbox.

For information about the parameter sets in the Syntax section below, see Syntax.

Syntax

Disable-Mailbox <COMMON PARAMETERS>
Disable-Mailbox [-Archive <SwitchParameter>] <COMMON PARAMETERS>
Disable-Mailbox [-RemoteArchive <SwitchParameter>] <COMMON PARAMETERS>
Disable-Mailbox [-Arbitration <SwitchParameter>] [-DisableLastArbitrationMailboxAllowed <SwitchParameter>] <COMMON PARAMETERS>
Disable-Mailbox [-PublicFolder <SwitchParameter>] <COMMON PARAMETERS>
COMMON PARAMETERS: -Identity <MailboxIdParameter> [-Confirm [<SwitchParameter>]] [-DomainController <Fqdn>] [-IgnoreDefaultScope <SwitchParameter>] [-IgnoreLegalHold <SwitchParameter>] [-WhatIf [<SwitchParameter>]]

Examples

EXAMPLE 1

This example disables the mailbox of user John Woods, whose alias is john, and removes all the mailbox attributes from Active Directory.

Copy Code 
Disable-Mailbox john@contoso.com

EXAMPLE 2

This example disables the remote archive for the mailbox of user John Woods, whose alias is john.

Copy Code 
Disable-Mailbox -Identity john@contoso.com -RemoteArchive

Detailed Description

The Disable-Mailbox cmdlet removes the mailbox's Exchange attributes from Active Directory. The mailbox isn't deleted and can be reconnected to its user at a later date by using the Connect-Mailbox cmdlet.

The Disable-Mailbox cmdlet also performs the clean-up task on the individual mailbox, so the mailbox is disconnected immediately after this task completes.

Under normal circumstances, a mailbox is marked as disconnected immediately after the Disable-Mailbox or Remove-Mailbox command completes. However, if the mailbox was disabled or removed while the Microsoft Exchange Information Store service was stopped, or if it was disabled or removed by an external means other than Exchange management interfaces, the status of the mailbox object in the Exchange mailbox database won't be marked as disconnected.

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 "Recipient Provisioning Permissions" section in the Recipients Permissions topic.

Parameters

Parameter Required Type Description

Identity

Required

Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.MailboxIdParameter

The Identity parameter specifies the mailbox you want to disable. You can use one of the following values:

  • GUID

  • Distinguished name (DN)

  • Display name

  • Domain\Account

  • User principal name (UPN)

  • LegacyExchangeDN

  • SmtpAddress

  • Alias

Arbitration

Optional

System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter

The Arbitration parameter specifies that the mailbox for which you are executing the command is an arbitration mailbox. Arbitration mailboxes are used for managing approval workflow. For example, an arbitration mailbox is used for handling moderated recipients and distribution group membership approval.

Archive

Optional

System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter

The Archive switch specifies whether to disconnect the archive mailbox from the associated mailbox user.

Confirm

Optional

System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter

The Confirm switch can be used to suppress the confirmation prompt that appears by default when this cmdlet is run. To suppress the confirmation prompt, use the syntax -Confirm:$False. You must include a colon ( : ) in the syntax.

DisableLastArbitrationMailboxAllowed

Optional

System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter

The DisableLastArbitrationMailboxAllowed switch specifies whether to disable the specified mailbox if it's the last arbitration mailbox in the organization. You don't have to specify a value with this parameter. If you disable the last arbitration mailbox in the organization, you can't have user-created distribution groups or moderated recipient functionality.

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 and allows you to disable a mailbox that's on legal hold.

Warning:
When you disable a mailbox, the mailbox is disconnected from the user account. After you disable a mailbox, you can't include it in a discovery search. Disconnected mailboxes are permanently deleted from the mailbox database after the deleted mailbox retention period expires. Check with your organization's legal or Human Resources department before disabling a mailbox that's on legal hold.

PublicFolder

Optional

System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter

The PublicFolder parameter specifies that the mailbox to disable is a public folder mailbox. Public folder mailboxes are specially designed mailboxes to store the hierarchy and content of public folders. You have to include this parameter to disable a public folder mailbox.

RemoteArchive

Optional

System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter

The RemoteArchive parameter specifies whether to disconnect the remote archive for this mailbox. A remote archive exists in a cloud-based service. When you use this parameter, the RemoteRecipientType property for the mailbox is reset to specify that this mailbox doesn't have a remote archive.

You don't need to specify a value with this parameter.

When you use this parameter, you can't use the Archive parameter.

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.