Outlook can't update any emails because OST file reach the maximun size.

Question

I used to face the same issue, then I increased the mailbox size to solve this issue temporarily. But now it happens again. I do the below search, I noted that there is a InplaceHolds, I do the below things but it doesn't work. Can someone let me know how to remove the deleted items completely?

1. Removed all of the related compliance search (I used to create a compliance search to delete a lot of emails)
2. Use the MAPI tool to clear the Recoverable Items in Deleted folder
3. Set mailbox "RetainDeletedItemsFor" to "0" and wait for many days
4. Remove all of the "In-Place Hold" and run Start-ManagedFolderAssistant but it still appears in Get-Mailbox | select InPlaceHolds

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Get-Mailbox -Identity xxxx | Format-List RecoverableItems,LitigationHoldEnabled,InPlaceHolds*

RecoverableItemsQuota : 50 GB (53,687,091,200 bytes)

RecoverableItemsWarningQuota : 45 GB (48,318,382,080 bytes)

LitigationHoldEnabled : False

InPlaceHolds : {0c1acec2daea475999de6ce7537a369b}

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Get-MailboxStatistics xxxx | fl totaldeleteditemsize,totalitemsize

TotalDeletedItemSize : 30.64 GB (32,897,395,543 bytes)

TotalItemSize : 40.67 GB (43,666,392,132 bytes)

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Get-MailboxFolderStatistics -Identity xxxx -FolderScope RecoverableItems |Format-Table Name,FolderAndSubfolderSize,ItemsInFolderAndSubfolders -Auto

Name FolderAndSubfolderSize ItemsInFolderAndSubfolders Recoverable Items 30.64 GB (32,903,561,002 bytes) 200612

Audits 0 B (0 bytes) 0

Calendar Logging 1.478 MB (1,549,816 bytes) 155

Deletions 0 B (0 bytes) 0

DiscoveryHolds 30.64 GB (32,902,011,186 bytes) 200457

Purges 0 B (0 bytes) 0

Versions 0 B (0 bytes) 0

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Get-Mailbox wangkaipu | fl hold

LitigationHoldEnabled : False

RetentionHoldEnabled : False

EndDateForRetentionHold :

StartDateForRetentionHold :

LitigationHoldDate :

LitigationHoldOwner :

ComplianceTagHoldApplied : False

DelayHoldApplied : False

LitigationHoldDuration : Unlimited

SCLDeleteThreshold :

SCLRejectThreshold :

SCLQuarantineThreshold :

SCLJunkThreshold :

InPlaceHolds : {0c1acec2daea475999de6ce7537a369b}

Answer 1

Hi @王楷朴 (Cooper Wang),

Welcome to our Q&A forum!

According to your description and steps, it seems that you haven't removed InPlaceHolds completely, the InPlaceHoldEnabled parameter should set to $false in the Exchange Management Shell. You can run below cmdlets to disables In-Place Hold and then removes the mailbox search. Then confirm again.

Set-MailboxSearch "{0c1acec2daea475999de6ce7537a369b}" -InPlaceHoldEnabled $false; Remove-MailboxSearch "{0c1acec2daea475999de6ce7537a369b}"

Reference: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/policy-and-compliance/holds/in-place-holds?view=exchserver-2019#remove-an-in-place-hold

Please let us know if there are any updates.

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