Can't manage or remove objects that were synchronized through the Azure Active Directory Sync tool

This article describes an issue that you can't manage or remove objects that were created through directory synchronization from Microsoft Entra ID. It provides two resolutions for this issue according to different reasons.

Original product version:   Cloud Services (Web roles/Worker roles), Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft Intune, Azure Backup, Office 365 Identity Management
Original KB number:   2619062

You try to manually manage or remove objects that were created through directory synchronization from Microsoft Entra ID:

For example, you want to remove an orphaned user account that was synced to Microsoft Entra ID from your on-premises Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS).

In this scenario, you can't remove the orphaned user account by using the Microsoft cloud service portal in Office 365, Azure, or Microsoft Intune, or by using Windows PowerShell.

This issue may occur if one or more of the following conditions are true:

• The on-premises AD DS is no longer available. So you can't manage or delete the object from the on-premises environment.
• You deleted an object from the on-premises AD DS. However, the object wasn't deleted from your cloud service organization. This behavior is unexpected.

You want to manage objects in Office 365, Azure, or Intune and you no longer want to use directory synchronization.

1. If you're not running Windows 10, install the 64-bit version of the Microsoft Online Services Sign-in Assistant: Microsoft Online Services Sign-in Assistant for IT Professionals RTW.

2. Install the Microsoft Azure Active Directory module for Windows PowerShell:

   1. Open an elevated Windows PowerShell command prompt (run Windows PowerShell as an administrator).
   2. Run the Install-Module MSOnline command.

3. Disable directory synchronization by running the following command:

    Set-MsolDirSyncEnabled -EnableDirSync $false
   

4. Check that directory synchronization was fully disabled by using the Windows PowerShell. To do it, run the following command periodically:

    (Get-MSOLCompanyInformation).DirectorySynchronizationEnabled
   

   This command will return True or False. Continue to run this command periodically until it returns False, and then go to the next step.

   It may take 72 hours for deactivation to be completed. The time depends on the number of objects that are in your cloud service subscription account.

5. Try to update an object by using Windows PowerShell or by using the cloud service portal.

   Step 4 may take a while to be completed. There's a process in the cloud service environment that computes attribute values. The process must be completed before the objects can be changed by using Windows PowerShell or by using the cloud service portal.

Force directory synchronization by using the steps on this article: Start the Scheduler

• If some updates and deletions are propagated, but some deletions aren't synchronized to the cloud service, follow typical directory synchronization troubleshooting procedures.

• If all updates and deletions aren't synchronized to the cloud service, contact Support.

  Note

  As an alternative resolution for this scenario, an object can be manually deleted in the cloud service. However, the object can't be updated in the cloud service. For more information about how to resolve this issue, see the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article: Object deletions aren't synchronized to Microsoft Entra ID when using the Azure Active Directory Sync tool.  

To re-enable directory synchronization, run the following command:

Set-MsolDirSyncEnabled -EnableDirSync $true

It's important to plan carefully when you re-enable directory synchronization. If you used the cloud service portal or Windows PowerShell to make any changes directly to the objects that were originally synchronized from on-premises AD DS, the changes will be overwritten by on-premises attributes and settings the first time that synchronization occurs after directory synchronization is re-enabled.

If you have questions or need help, create a support request, or ask Azure community support. You can also submit product feedback to Azure feedback community.