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Please Verify This Exchange 2007 Shell Command

We want to empty a specific user's mailbox on our Exchange 2007 server.

I believe the proper shell command would be:

Get-Mailbox "username" -DeleteContent

Where "username" is obviously the username of the person involved.

Is this command correct? We want the mailbox to still exist; we just want to clear out all outlook data in it.

Thank you!

sturgeontireAsked: 2012-12-24

Who is Participating?

LVL 52

Manpreet SIngh KhatraSolutions Architect, Project LeadCommented: 2012-12-24

You have to Export the data to a PST

Export-Mailbox –Identity user@domain.com -DeleteContent -PSTFolderPath "\\server\folder\pstfile.pst" -BadItemLimit 10000

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/exchangesvradminlegacy/thread/58fe9f8d-565c-474b-a8e1-90b2ed7c946f

or else simply Export all data to PST and then disable Mailbox and create a new mailbox

- Rancy

LVL 23

Stelian StanNetwork AdministratorCommented: 2012-12-24

That's correct. To verify if that mailbox still exist run this:

get-mailbox -Identity "username" | fl

then

Get-Mailbox "username" -DeleteContent WhatIf

LVL 52

Manpreet SIngh KhatraSolutions Architect, Project LeadCommented: 2012-12-24

sturgeontire: Have you tried the command as far as i know this cannot delete any content in the Mailbox please if you can confirm

- Rancy

sturgeontireAuthor Commented: 2012-12-24

Hi Rancy,

I will try it and let you know - may not be until later as I am busy with other stuff and wanted to get the command out of the way.

J.

LVL 52

Manpreet SIngh KhatraSolutions Architect, Project LeadCommented: 2012-12-24

The reason i say is cause Get-Mailbox simply gives you Attribute information and not Mailbox data information so i dont think its that simple with Exchange 2007 whereas in Exchange 2010 you have the Search-Mailbox but Export-Mailbox in Exchnage 2007 cant be run from the Exchange server .... one would need to install tools on some client machine and work so a BIG headache in a way

Get-Mailbox
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb676556(v=EXCHG.80).aspx

- Rancy

sturgeontireAuthor Commented: 2012-12-24

Rancy - the original command I asked about did not work because -DeleteContent caused an error.

I tried your suggestion, but after entering it, I get a ">>" prompt that appears to want more input.

I've just been advised to delete the user anyway, but I would like to get this to work for future reference (throw it in my procedure file).

Thanks for your help.

LVL 52

Manpreet SIngh KhatraSolutions Architect, Project LeadCommented: 2012-12-24

So firstly you marked the solution to wrong post and quiet quickly :( (So you should ideally hit Request Attention)

Look as i said you can get the data to a PST normally and then do a Disable and New mailbox ........... also as i said this cant be done from Exchange Shell on the server ....... you have to install Exchange Management tools on a 32 bit client and then run from there

How to Export and Import mailboxes to PST files in Exchange 2007 SP1
http://blogs.technet.com/b/exchange/archive/2007/04/13/3401913.aspx

- Rancy
"Merry Christmas and Happy New Year"