Error when you try to remove a mailbox database

Symptoms

When you try to remove a Microsoft Exchange Server database by running the Remove-MailboxDatabase PowerShell cmdlet, you receive an error message that resembles the following message:

This mailbox database contains one or more mailboxes, mailbox plans, archive mailboxes, public folder mailboxes, arbitration mailboxes, or audit mailboxes. To get a list of all mailboxes in this database, run the command Get-Mailbox -Database <database ID>... To disable a non-arbitration mailbox so that you can delete the mailbox database, run the command Disable-Mailbox <mailbox ID>... Audit mailboxes should be moved to another server; to do this, run the command New-MoveRequest <parameters>. If this is the last server in the organization, run the command Get-Mailbox -AuditLog | Disable-Mailbox...

Cause

Exchange Server prevents users from removing a database that contains an enabled mailbox that's one of the following mailbox types:

• User mailbox
• Archive mailbox
• Public folder mailbox
• Arbitration mailbox
• Audit log mailbox

Resolution

To fix the issue, follow these steps:

1. Set the scope of the EMS session to the entire forest in Active Directory Domain Services by running the following PowerShell cmdlet:

   Set-ADServerSettings -ViewEntireForest $true
   

2. Move, disable, or remove any enabled user mailboxes in the database:

   1. Get a list of enabled user mailboxes by running the following PowerShell commands:

      $userMailboxes = Get-Mailbox -Database <database name> | where {$_.IsMailboxEnabled}
      $userMailboxes
      

      If the list is empty, go to step 3.

   2. Select any of the following options:

      • To move the user mailboxes to another database, run the following PowerShell cmdlet:

        $userMailboxes | New-MoveRequest -TargetDatabase <target database name>
        

      • To disable the user mailboxes, run the following PowerShell cmdlet:

        $userMailboxes | Disable-Mailbox
        

      • To remove the user mailboxes, run the following PowerShell cmdlet:

        $userMailboxes | Remove-Mailbox
        

3. Move or disable any enabled archive mailboxes in the database:

   1. Get a list of enabled archive mailboxes by running the following PowerShell commands:

      $archiveMailboxes = Get-Mailbox -Archive -Database <database name> | where {$_.IsMailboxEnabled}
      $archiveMailboxes += Get-Mailbox | where {$_.ArchiveDatabase -eq "<database name>"} | where {$_.IsMailboxEnabled}
      $archiveMailboxes
      

      If the list is empty, go to step 4.

   2. Select either of the following options:

      • To move the archive mailboxes to another database, run the following PowerShell cmdlet:

        $archiveMailboxes | New-MoveRequest -TargetDatabase <target database name>
        

      • To disable the archive mailboxes, run the following PowerShell cmdlet:

        $archiveMailboxes | Disable-Mailbox -Archive
        

4. Move, disable, or remove any enabled public folder mailboxes in the database:

   1. Get a list of enabled public folder mailboxes by running the following PowerShell commands:

      $pfMailboxes = Get-Mailbox -PublicFolder -Database <database name> | where {$_.IsMailboxEnabled}
      $pfMailboxes
      

      If the list is empty, go to step 5.

   2. Select any of the following options:

      • To move the public folder mailboxes to another database, run the following PowerShell cmdlet:

        $pfMailboxes | New-MoveRequest -TargetDatabase <target database name>
        

      • To disable the public folder mailboxes, run the following PowerShell cmdlet:

        $pfMailboxes | Disable-Mailbox -PublicFolder
        

      • To remove the public folder mailboxes, run the following PowerShell cmdlet:

        $pfMailboxes | Remove-Mailbox -PublicFolder
        

5. Move, disable, or remove any enabled arbitration mailboxes in the database:

   1. Get a list of enabled arbitration mailboxes by running the following PowerShell commands:

      $arbitrationMailboxes = Get-Mailbox -Arbitration -Database <database name> | where {$_.IsMailboxEnabled}
      $arbitrationMailboxes
      

      If the list is empty, go to step 6.

   2. Select any of the following options:

      • To move the arbitration mailboxes to another database, run the following PowerShell cmdlet:

        $arbitrationMailboxes | New-MoveRequest -TargetDatabase <target database name>
        

      • To disable the arbitration mailboxes, run the following PowerShell cmdlet:

        $arbitrationMailboxes | Disable-Mailbox -Arbitration
        

        Note: If you disable an arbitration mailbox, you might have to provide other parameters. For example:

        $arbitrationMailboxes | Disable-Mailbox -Arbitration -DisableArbitrationMailboxWithOABsAllowed -DisableLastArbitrationMailboxAllowed
        

      • To remove the arbitration mailboxes, run the following PowerShell cmdlet:

        $arbitrationMailboxes | Remove-Mailbox -Arbitration
        

        Note: If you remove an arbitration mailbox, you might have to provide other parameters. For example:

        $arbitrationMailboxes | Remove-Mailbox -Arbitration -RemoveArbitrationMailboxWithOABsAllowed -RemoveLastArbitrationMailboxAllowed
        

6. Move, disable, or remove any enabled audit log mailboxes in the database:

   1. Get a list of enabled audit log mailboxes by running the following PowerShell commands:

      $auditMailboxes = Get-Mailbox -AuditLog -Database <database name> | where {$_.IsMailboxEnabled}
      $auditMailboxes
      

      If the list is empty, go to step 7.

   2. Select any of the following options:

      • To move the audit log mailboxes to another database, run the following PowerShell cmdlet:

        $auditMailboxes | New-MoveRequest -TargetDatabase <target database name>
        

      • To disable the audit log mailboxes, run the following PowerShell cmdlet:

        $auditMailboxes | Disable-Mailbox
        

      • To remove the audit log mailboxes, run the following PowerShell cmdlet:

        $auditMailboxes | Remove-Mailbox -AuditLog
        

7. Wait for any pending mailbox moves to finish, and then retry the command to remove the database.