exchange: one server destroyed

Question

_{Saturday, July 20, 2019 9:44 PM}

Hi,

Win server 2016: I had to install one exchange server on a VM

I installed on server SDATA but this server crashed and wasn't able to perform windows updates anymore without crashing, and gave errors on startup. 

So I created another VM, named DATAS, and could install exchane on this one.

Then I deleted SDATA from hyperv and from active directory.

Problem : in exchange server:



Even if machine is deleted from active directory, and deleted in hyperv, it is still registered somewhere on the 2nd exchange (or in AD perhaps). How can I delete it?

Thanks.

Alain Bourgeois

All replies (9)

_{Monday, July 22, 2019 6:58 AM ✅Answered | 1 vote}

Hi,

 

I'd recommend the following steps to remove the legacy Exchange server manually.

 

1.Connect to the domain controller, open ADSIEdit.

2.Right click on the console then “Connect to:” In the connection dialog select “Well known Naming Context”. In the drop down menu select “Configuration”.

3.Explode “CN=Configuration [domain]\CN=Services\CN=Microsoft Exchange\CN=[organization]\CN=Administrative Groups\CN=Servers”. Right click on the dead server and pick “Delete”

4.Delete Database information as well, navigate to “CN=Configuration [domain]\CN=Services\CN=Microsoft Exchange\CN=[organization]\CN=Administrative Groups\CN=Databases”

5.Explode each item to find which one is related to the old server, then delete it as well.

6.Reboot the domain controller and Exchange server.

 

Regards,

Kelvin Deng

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_{Saturday, July 20, 2019 10:45 PM}

Hi,

Win server 2016: I had to install one exchange server on a VM

I installed on server SDATA but this server crashed and wasn't able to perform windows updates anymore without crashing, and gave errors on startup. 

So I created another VM, named DATAS, and could install exchane on this one.

Then I deleted SDATA from hyperv and from active directory.

Problem : in exchange server:



Even if machine is deleted from active directory, and deleted in hyperv, it is still registered somewhere on the 2nd exchange (or in AD perhaps). How can I delete it?

Thanks.

Alain Bourgeois

You shouldnt have done that.

There are still references in AD under the configuration container for Exchange. You can delete those references under servers , but doing so is unsupported so you will have to take that risk if you go that way.

Supported option: Restore the AD object you deleted from the forest recycle bin, then reinstall Exchange and then gracefully remove it with add/remove programs

/en-us/exchange/high-availability/disaster-recovery/recover-exchange-servers?view=exchserver-2019

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_{Saturday, July 20, 2019 10:53 PM}

I tried to remove it using add/remove programs but it didn't work: he told there was one database.

Now I can't as I dropped the VM.

Alain Bourgeois

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_{Saturday, July 20, 2019 10:55 PM}

I tried to remove it using add/remove programs but it didn't work: he told there was one database.

Now I can't as I dropped the VM.

Alain Bourgeois

Well, those are really your two options I listed above. 

The Deleted Exchange Server should be in the forest recycle bin. Have you looked?

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_{Saturday, July 20, 2019 11:39 PM}



Worst, it means that if one of your exchange servers burns/is stolen, you had no backup of it, you have no way to clean it from the AD!

Any Uninstall /ignore?

Alain Bourgeois

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_{Tuesday, July 23, 2019 4:34 PM}

Sorry, Meanwhile I restarted everything from scratch on new vm's, on a clean way.

So New AD and new exchange.

Alain Bourgeois

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_{Thursday, July 25, 2019 6:01 AM}

Hi,

 

I understand you re-deployed a new AD organazation, and then installed a new Exchange server in the AD organization. If so, it should be no legacy Exchange servers exist. If i misunderstand, please provide more detailed information, so that we can give more appropriate suggestions.

 

Regards,

Kelvin Deng

Please remember to mark the replies as answers if they helped. If you have feedback for TechNet Subscriber Support, contact tnsf@microsoft.com. 

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_{Thursday, July 25, 2019 6:19 PM}

Organization is very little: one single physical windows server 2016, 2 VM's: one for AD/DNS and a nd one for exchange/databases/file sharing. Nor VM nor exchange are activated yet.

First attempt: windows exchange installed successfully but could not install windows updates and failed continuously (it seems winupdate from July 9th was bugged)

So I installed another exchange... and tried to uninstall the first one. It didn't work (first one failed to uninstall).

As it is a new install, I deleted all vm's , created new vm's for new AD and new Exchange. Everything works now.

This ticket can be closed.

Alain Bourgeois

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_{Friday, July 26, 2019 1:37 AM}

Hi,

 

Glad to hear that. If you don't mind, I proposed your useful replies, and you could mark it as answer, this will help more people with similar issues. Thanks for your understanding.

 

Regards,

Kelvin Deng

Please remember to mark the replies as answers if they helped. If you have feedback for TechNet Subscriber Support, contact tnsf@microsoft.com.