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Remove exchange server from administrative group
I wanting to remove a exchange 2003 server from our network, we already have two other exchange servers. I have moved all the mailboxes excluding system attendant, systemmailbox and smtp mailbox which i can not currently move. I thin i should be able to clear them with adsi edit?
My main concern is i know that public folders have all replicated to the other server, as i have set replication and also run the move all replicas from esm on the server to removed and all run with no errors. but the pub.edb is much bigger on the original server i want to remove.
My main concern is i know that public folders have all replicated to the other server, as i have set replication and also run the move all replicas from esm on the server to removed and all run with no errors. but the pub.edb is much bigger on the original server i want to remove.
Hi,
Was this the original Exchange server setup in the organisation? If so you should check and re-check through this - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/822931
Have you deleted any data from the public folder structures? If so then the new database is probably smaller due to the unclaimed white space on the old pub.edb file. You should be able to see how much white space is available on that database by checking for event 1221 on the server you are trying to remove.
http://www.msexchange.org/articles/Exchange-Databases-Disk-Consumption.html
Was this the original Exchange server setup in the organisation? If so you should check and re-check through this - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/822931
Have you deleted any data from the public folder structures? If so then the new database is probably smaller due to the unclaimed white space on the old pub.edb file. You should be able to see how much white space is available on that database by checking for event 1221 on the server you are trying to remove.
http://www.msexchange.org/articles/Exchange-Databases-Disk-Consumption.html
ASKER
This server is a secondary server it is not the master smtp routing etc.
I deleted the system attendant mailbox using adsi edit, does anyone see a problem with me deleting the two mailboxes, smtp (servername) and systemmailbox uisng adsi edit so that that the setup.exe to remove exchange will let me start to uninstall exchange?
BTW: when i look on the server to delete in >oldserver_to_delete > first storage goup > public folder store> Public folders: This is now empty which looks correct to me?
I deleted the system attendant mailbox using adsi edit, does anyone see a problem with me deleting the two mailboxes, smtp (servername) and systemmailbox uisng adsi edit so that that the setup.exe to remove exchange will let me start to uninstall exchange?
BTW: when i look on the server to delete in >oldserver_to_delete > first storage goup > public folder store> Public folders: This is now empty which looks correct to me?
You shouldn't need to delete those system mailboxes. The Exchange setup wizard knows that they are system mailboxes and will not force you to remove them to run the setup to remove Exchange. If you are getting the prompts about mailboxes then you have other mailboxes that are still homed on the server - it will not be those system mailboxes that are the cause of the message.
Simon.
Simon.
ASKER
I ran through this http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=279202 usind ldp.exe and found there was one mailbox on the mailstore i removed this and still can not uninstall exchange using the add remove function.
i have checked on all dcs to ensure the changes have correctly replicated.
i have checked on all dcs to ensure the changes have correctly replicated.
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You need to remove the server from the list of replicas for public folders.
When you are down to the system mailboxes, use add/remove programs to remove Exchange.
If it prompts about mailboxes being homed on the server then it could be unused mailboxes. Use the technique at the end of my migration article http://www.amset.info/exchange/migration.asp to find those mailboxes.
Simon.