Applies to: Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Online

Topic Last Modified: 2013-01-11

Use the Remove-MailUser cmdlet to remove an existing mail-enabled user from Active Directory.

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

Syntax

Remove-MailUser -Identity <MailUserIdParameter> [-Confirm [<SwitchParameter>]] [-DomainController <Fqdn>] [-ForReconciliation <SwitchParameter>] [-IgnoreDefaultScope <SwitchParameter>] [-IgnoreLegalHold <SwitchParameter>] [-KeepWindowsLiveID <SwitchParameter>] [-Permanent <$true | $false>] [-WhatIf [<SwitchParameter>]]

Examples

EXAMPLE 1

This example removes the mail-enabled user Ed Meadows from Active Directory.

Copy Code 
Remove-MailUser -Identity "Ed Meadows"

Detailed Description

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.MailUserIdParameter

The Identity parameter specifies the identity of the mail user.

This parameter accepts the following values:

  • Alias

    Example: JPhillips

  • Canonical DN

    Example: Atlanta.Corp.Contoso.Com/Users/JPhillips

  • Display Name

    Example: Jeff Phillips

  • Distinguished Name (DN)

    Example: CN=JPhillips,CN=Users,DC=Atlanta,DC=Corp,DC=contoso,DC=com

  • Domain\Account

    Example: Atlanta\JPhillips

  • GUID

    Example: fb456636-fe7d-4d58-9d15-5af57d0354c2

  • Immutable ID

    Example: fb456636-fe7d-4d58-9d15-5af57d0354c2@contoso.com

  • Legacy Exchange DN

    Example: /o=Contoso/ou=AdministrativeGroup/cn=Recipients/cn=JPhillips

  • SMTP Address

    Example: Jeff.Phillips@contoso.com

  • User Principal Name

    Example: JPhillips@contoso.com

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.

ForReconciliation

Optional

System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter

This parameter is reserved for internal Microsoft use.

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 distinguished name (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 mail user and allows you to remove the user account that's on legal hold and the associated cloud mailbox.

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. Check with your organization's legal or Human Resources department before disabling a mailbox that's on legal hold.

KeepWindowsLiveID

Optional

System.Management.Automation.SwitchParameter

This parameter applies to objects in the cloud-based service. It isn’t available for on-premises deployments.

The KeepWindowsLiveID parameter preserves the Microsoft account (formerly known as a Windows Live ID) associated with the deleted mail user.

Permanent

Optional

System.Boolean

This parameter is reserved for internal Microsoft use.

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.