hachemp
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Removing SMTP Addresses from orphaned Exchange 2010 Mailboxes - AD Server Is Gone
Hello, we are trying to remove the SMTP addresses (or ideally the entire mailboxes) from a few accounts on an Exchange 2010 server. The catch is that the domain controller (it was a child domain) for those users accounts is gone and is not recoverable. We've recreated the user accounts on the master domain (we will not be rebuilding the child domain, but rather recreating the users on the master domain), but when we create the mailboxes for them in Exchange, we can't use the original SMTPs for them because they still exist in those orphaned mailboxes that were associated with the child domain.
Trying to remove the mailboxes results in the following error:
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Action 'Remove' could not be performed on object 'Amanda Smitch'. Amanda Smitch Failed Error:
The operation couldn't be performed because object 'company.Inc/To Be Removed/username' couldn't be found on 'ServerNameDomainControlle
Is there any way to forcibly remove those orphaned SMTPs or mailboxes so we can add them to the new accounts?
Trying to remove the mailboxes results in the following error:
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Action 'Remove' could not be performed on object 'Amanda Smitch'. Amanda Smitch Failed Error:
The operation couldn't be performed because object 'company.Inc/To Be Removed/username' couldn't be found on 'ServerNameDomainControlle
Is there any way to forcibly remove those orphaned SMTPs or mailboxes so we can add them to the new accounts?
Start down the path of ADSI edit and see if that works. Not exactly what you're doing, but it helps get you on the right path: http://www.microsoftfaqs.com/msg/116624446.aspx
Is the AD account still working or deleted ?
As if the AD account is there we need to understand why Exchange cannot see it if not Mailbox should be in Disconnected Mailbox container anyways
- Rancy
As if the AD account is there we need to understand why Exchange cannot see it if not Mailbox should be in Disconnected Mailbox container anyways
- Rancy
ASKER
Rancy, basically what happened is that they had a child domain that held the AD accounts for these 10 or so users. The only DC for that child domain crashed and is unrecoverable. So those AD accounts are gone and not recoverable.
The mailboxes are not in disconnected, but still listed with all of the other mailboxes from the parent domain. If I could get them into disconnected, then I believe I could remove them or reattach them to another AD account. Any attempts to remove them, look at the properties of those mailboxes, etc, returns an error because it can't contact the DC for those accounts.
xBouchardx, I know that as a last resort we can probably go into ADSI edit and painfully carve out that child domain, but I'm doing my best to avoid that if possible. BTW your link doesn't work.
We've already recovered the mailbox contents for the users, so the primary goal here is just to remove those SMTP address from the orphaned mailboxes so we can use them for the new mailboxes that we created for these users on the parent domain. Of course, Exchange won't let us use those SMTPs since they're already listed on the orphaned mailboxes.
Thanks to both of you for chiming in.
The mailboxes are not in disconnected, but still listed with all of the other mailboxes from the parent domain. If I could get them into disconnected, then I believe I could remove them or reattach them to another AD account. Any attempts to remove them, look at the properties of those mailboxes, etc, returns an error because it can't contact the DC for those accounts.
xBouchardx, I know that as a last resort we can probably go into ADSI edit and painfully carve out that child domain, but I'm doing my best to avoid that if possible. BTW your link doesn't work.
We've already recovered the mailbox contents for the users, so the primary goal here is just to remove those SMTP address from the orphaned mailboxes so we can use them for the new mailboxes that we created for these users on the parent domain. Of course, Exchange won't let us use those SMTPs since they're already listed on the orphaned mailboxes.
Thanks to both of you for chiming in.
The mailboxes are not in disconnected, but still listed with all of the other mailboxes from the parent domain - Do a Clean-MailboxDatabase and check
- Rancy
- Rancy
ASKER
Rancy, we have actually already tried Clean-MailboxDatabase, and then gave it another 24 hours after running that to see if they would be placed in disconnected, but they are still listed in with the other mailboxes.
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Awesome .... was there a Exchange in DC ? When was the Domain\DC lost ?
- Rancy
- Rancy
ASKER
Yeah, basically they had their Exchange server hosting email for both the parent and the child domains. They only had 1 DC for their child domain (was very old, probably set up in early 2000s) and it went down hard about two weeks ago. They had backed up the system state and related but without a comparable server to restore to, we couldn't really do anything with it.
They really had no need for a child domain so now everything's running on their parent domain with TWO DCs. Thanks again for the help.
They really had no need for a child domain so now everything's running on their parent domain with TWO DCs. Thanks again for the help.
ASKER
Rancy, giving you the points for your continued participation.