Remove-Mailbox
This cmdlet is available in on-premises Exchange and in the cloud-based service. Some parameters and settings may be exclusive to one environment or the other.
Use the Remove-Mailbox cmdlet to delete mailboxes and the associated user accounts.
For information about the parameter sets in the Syntax section below, see Exchange cmdlet syntax.
Syntax
Remove-Mailbox
[-Identity] <MailboxIdParameter>
[-Permanent <Boolean>]
[-Arbitration]
[-AuditLog]
[-AuxAuditLog]
[-Confirm]
[-DomainController <Fqdn>]
[-Force]
[-IgnoreDefaultScope]
[-IgnoreLegalHold]
[-Migration]
[-PublicFolder]
[-RemoveArbitrationMailboxWithOABsAllowed]
[-RemoveLastArbitrationMailboxAllowed]
[-SupervisoryReviewPolicy]
[-WhatIf]
[<CommonParameters>]Remove-Mailbox
-Database <DatabaseIdParameter>
-StoreMailboxIdentity <StoreMailboxIdParameter>
[-Arbitration]
[-AuditLog]
[-AuxAuditLog]
[-Confirm]
[-DomainController <Fqdn>]
[-Force]
[-IgnoreDefaultScope]
[-IgnoreLegalHold]
[-Migration]
[-PublicFolder]
[-RemoveArbitrationMailboxWithOABsAllowed]
[-RemoveLastArbitrationMailboxAllowed]
[-SupervisoryReviewPolicy]
[-WhatIf]
[<CommonParameters>]Remove-Mailbox
[-Identity] <MailboxIdParameter>
[-PermanentlyDelete]
[-Confirm]
[-Force]
[-Migration]
[-PublicFolder]
[-RemoveCNFPublicFolderMailboxPermanently]
[-WhatIf]
[<CommonParameters>]Description
Use the Identity parameter alone to disconnect the mailbox from the user and remove the user account. The mailbox still exists, and is retained until the deleted mailbox retention period expires. The deleted mailbox retention period is controlled by the MailboxRetention property on the mailbox database or on the mailbox itself if the UseDatabaseRetentionDefaults property is False.
Use the Identity and Permanent parameters to disconnect the mailbox from the user, remove the user account, and immediately remove the mailbox from the mailbox database. The mailbox doesn't remain in the mailbox database as a disconnected mailbox.
Use the Disable-Mailbox cmdlet to disconnect the mailbox from the user account, but keep the user account. The mailbox is retained until the deleted mailbox retention period for the database or the mailbox expires, and then the mailbox is permanently deleted (purged). Or, you can immediately purge the disconnected mailbox by using the Database and StoreMailboxIdentity parameters on the Remove-Mailbox cmdlet.
You need to be assigned permissions before you can run this cmdlet. Although this topic lists all parameters for the cmdlet, you may not have access to some parameters if they're not included in the permissions assigned to you. To find the permissions required to run any cmdlet or parameter in your organization, see Find the permissions required to run any Exchange cmdlet.
Examples
Example 1
Remove-Mailbox -Identity "John Rodman"This example removes the mailbox and the user account for the user named John Rodman. The mailbox remains in the mailbox database for the deleted mailbox retention period that's configured for the database.
Example 2
Remove-Mailbox -Identity "John Rodman" -Permanent $trueIn on-premises Exchange, this example removes the mailbox and the user account for the user named John Rodman. The mailbox is immediately and permanently removed from the mailbox database.
Example 3
$Temp = Get-Mailbox | Where {$_.DisplayName -eq 'John Rodman'}
Remove-Mailbox -Database Server01\Database01 -StoreMailboxIdentity $Temp.MailboxGuidIn on-premises Exchange, this example removes John Rodman's mailbox from the mailbox database after the mailbox has been disconnected from the user account. The example uses the Get-Mailbox cmdlet to retrieve the mailbox GUID value of the disconnected mailbox, which is required by the StoreMailboxIdentity parameter.
Example 4
Get-Mailbox -Identity Laura -SoftDeletedMailbox | Remove-Mailbox -PermanentlyDeleteIn Exchange Online, this example removes the specified soft-deleted mailbox.
Parameters
-Arbitration
This parameter is available only in on-premises Exchange.
The Arbitration switch is required to remove arbitration mailboxes. You don't need to specify a value with this switch.
Arbitration mailboxes are system mailbox that are used for storing different types of system data and for managing messaging approval workflow.
To remove arbitration mailboxes that are used to store audit log settings or data, don't use this switch. Instead, use the AuditLog or AuxAuditLog switches.
| Type: | SwitchParameter |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
| Applies to: | Exchange Server 2010, Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019 |
-AuditLog
This parameter is available only in on-premises Exchange.
The AuditLog switch is required to remove audit log mailboxes. You don't need to specify a value with this switch.
Audit log mailboxes are arbitration mailboxes that are used to store audit log settings.
To remove other types of arbitration mailboxes, don't use this switch. Instead, use the Arbitration switch.
| Type: | SwitchParameter |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
| Applies to: | Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019 |
-AuxAuditLog
This parameter is available only in on-premises Exchange.
The AuxAuditLog switch is required to remove auxiliary audit log mailboxes. You don't need to specify a value with this switch.
Audit log mailboxes are arbitration mailboxes that are used to store audit log settings.
To remove other types of arbitration mailboxes, don't use this switch. Instead, use the Arbitration switch.
| Type: | SwitchParameter |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
| Applies to: | Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019 |
-Confirm
The Confirm switch specifies whether to show or hide the confirmation prompt. How this switch affects the cmdlet depends on if the cmdlet requires confirmation before proceeding.
- Destructive cmdlets (for example, Remove-* cmdlets) have a built-in pause that forces you to acknowledge the command before proceeding. For these cmdlets, you can skip the confirmation prompt by using this exact syntax:
-Confirm:$false. - Most other cmdlets (for example, New-* and Set-* cmdlets) don't have a built-in pause. For these cmdlets, specifying the Confirm switch without a value introduces a pause that forces you acknowledge the command before proceeding.
| Type: | SwitchParameter |
| Aliases: | cf |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
| Applies to: | Exchange Server 2010, Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019, Exchange Online |
-Database
This parameter is available only in on-premises Exchange.
The Database parameter specifies the Exchange database that contains the mailbox that you want to remove. You can use any value that uniquely identifies the database. For example:
- Name
- Distinguished name (DN)
- GUID
When you use this parameter with the StoreMailboxIdentity parameter to identify and remove the mailbox, the mailbox is immediately and permanently deleted from the database, so you can't reconnect or restore the mailbox. You can't use either of these parameters with the Identity parameter.
If you've disconnected a mailbox from its associated user and want to remove the mailbox object from the Exchange store, use the Database and StoreMailboxIdentity parameters.
| Type: | DatabaseIdParameter |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | True |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
| Applies to: | Exchange Server 2010, Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019 |
-DomainController
This parameter is available only in on-premises Exchange.
The DomainController parameter specifies the domain controller that's used by this cmdlet to read data from or write data to Active Directory. You identify the domain controller by its fully qualified domain name (FQDN). For example, dc01.contoso.com.
| Type: | Fqdn |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
| Applies to: | Exchange Server 2010, Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019 |
-Force
The Force switch hides warning or confirmation messages. You don't need to specify a value with this switch.
You can use this switch to run tasks programmatically where prompting for administrative input is inappropriate.
| Type: | SwitchParameter |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
| Applies to: | Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019, Exchange Online |
-Identity
The Identity parameter identifies the mailbox that you want to remove. You can use any value that uniquely identifies the mailbox. For example:
- Name
- Alias
- Distinguished name (DN)
- Canonical DN
- Domain\Username
- Email address
- GUID
- LegacyExchangeDN
- SamAccountName
- User ID or user principal name (UPN)
You can't use this parameter with the Database parameter.
| Type: | MailboxIdParameter |
| Position: | 1 |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | True |
| Accept pipeline input: | True |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
| Applies to: | Exchange Server 2010, Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019, Exchange Online |
-IgnoreDefaultScope
This parameter is available only in on-premises Exchange.
The IgnoreDefaultScope switch tells the command to ignore the default recipient scope setting for the Exchange PowerShell session, and to use the entire forest as the scope. You don't need to specify a value with this switch.
This switch enables the command to access Active Directory objects that aren't currently available in the default scope, but also introduces the following restrictions:
- You can't use the DomainController parameter. The command uses an appropriate global catalog server automatically.
- You can only use the DN for the Identity parameter. Other forms of identification, such as alias or GUID, aren't accepted.
| Type: | SwitchParameter |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
| Applies to: | Exchange Server 2010, Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019 |
-IgnoreLegalHold
This parameter is available only in on-premises Exchange.
The IgnoreLegalHold switch ignores the legal hold status of the user. You don't need to specify a value with this switch.
When you disable or remove the user, the user's cloud-based mailbox that's on legal hold is also disabled or removed.
After you disable or remove a mailbox, you can't include it in a discovery search. When you disable a mailbox, the mailbox is disconnected from the user account. Disconnected mailboxes and removed mailboxes are permanently deleted from the mailbox database after the deleted mailbox retention period expires. However, you can also remove a mailbox and purge it immediately from the mailbox database. Check with your organization's legal or Human Resources department before you disable or remove a mailbox that's on legal hold.
| Type: | SwitchParameter |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
| Applies to: | Exchange Server 2010, Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019 |
-Migration
The Migration switch is required to remove migration mailboxes. You don't need to specify a value with this switch.
| Type: | SwitchParameter |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
| Applies to: | Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019, Exchange Online |
-Permanent
This parameter is available only in on-premises Exchange.
The Permanent parameter specifies whether to permanently delete the mailbox from the mailbox database. Valid values are:
- $true: The mailbox is immediately and permanently deleted (purged). You can't reconnect or restore the mailbox.
- $false: The mailbox disabled and retained until the deleted mailbox retention period expires. You can reconnect or restore the mailbox until the deleted mailbox retention period expires. This is the default value.
| Type: | Boolean |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
| Applies to: | Exchange Server 2010, Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019 |
-PermanentlyDelete
This parameter is available only in the cloud-based service.
The PermanentlyDelete switch immediately and permanently deletes (purges) the mailbox, which prevents you from recovering or restoring the mailbox. You don't need to specify a value with this switch.
Notes:
- This switch works only on mailboxes that have already been deleted, but are still recoverable (known as soft-deleted mailboxes). Use the Get-Mailbox cmdlet to identify the soft-deleted mailbox, and then pipe the results to the Remove-Mailbox cmdlet as shown in Example 4 in this topic.
- This switch doesn't work on soft-deleted mailboxes that are on In-Place Hold or Litigation Hold (known as inactive mailboxes).
| Type: | SwitchParameter |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
| Applies to: | Exchange Online |
-PublicFolder
The PublicFolder switch is required to remove public folder mailboxes. You don't need to specify a value with this switch.
Public folder mailboxes are specially designed mailboxes that store the hierarchy and content of public folders.
| Type: | SwitchParameter |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
| Applies to: | Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019, Exchange Online |
-RemoveArbitrationMailboxWithOABsAllowed
This parameter is available only in on-premises Exchange.
The RemoveArbitrationMailboxWithOABsAllowed switch specifies whether to bypass the checks for offline address books (OABs) within the specified arbitration mailbox that is being removed. You don't need to specify a value with this switch.
When you use this switch, the arbitration mailbox is removed even if OABs are present in the mailbox.
| Type: | SwitchParameter |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
| Applies to: | Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019 |
-RemoveCNFPublicFolderMailboxPermanently
This parameter is available only in the cloud-based service.
{{ Fill RemoveCNFPublicFolderMailboxPermanently Description }}
| Type: | SwitchParameter |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
| Applies to: | Exchange Online |
-RemoveLastArbitrationMailboxAllowed
This parameter is available only in on-premises Exchange.
The RemoveLastArbitrationMailboxAllowed switch specifies whether to remove the specified mailbox, even if it's the last arbitration mailbox in the organization. You don't need to specify a value with this switch.
If you remove the last arbitration mailbox in the organization, you can't have user-created distribution groups or moderated recipients.
| Type: | SwitchParameter |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
| Applies to: | Exchange Server 2010, Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019 |
-StoreMailboxIdentity
This parameter is available only in on-premises Exchange.
The StoreMailboxIdentity parameter specifies the mailbox that you want to remove. When you use this parameter, you identify the mailbox by its MailboxGUID value. You can find the GUID value by using the Get-Mailbox or Get-MailboxStatistics cmdlets.
When you use this parameter with the Database parameter to identify and remove the mailbox, the mailbox is immediately and permanently deleted from the database, so you can't reconnect or restore the mailbox. You can't either of these parameters with the Identity parameter.
If you've disconnected a mailbox from its associated user and want to remove the mailbox object from the Exchange store, use the Database and StoreMailboxIdentity parameters.
| Type: | StoreMailboxIdParameter |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | True |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
| Applies to: | Exchange Server 2010, Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019 |
-SupervisoryReviewPolicy
This parameter is available only in on-premises Exchange.
This parameter is reserved for internal Microsoft use.
| Type: | SwitchParameter |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
| Applies to: | Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019 |
-WhatIf
The WhatIf switch simulates the actions of the command. You can use this switch to view the changes that would occur without actually applying those changes. You don't need to specify a value with this switch.
| Type: | SwitchParameter |
| Aliases: | wi |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
| Applies to: | Exchange Server 2010, Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Server 2016, Exchange Server 2019, Exchange Online |
Inputs
Input types
To see the input types that this cmdlet accepts, see Cmdlet Input and Output Types. If the Input Type field for a cmdlet is blank, the cmdlet doesn't accept input data.
Outputs
Output types
To see the return types, which are also known as output types, that this cmdlet accepts, see Cmdlet Input and Output Types. If the Output Type field is blank, the cmdlet doesn't return data.