Most exchange admins will run into this problem at some point. You do either one of the two actions – delete a user account using AD users and computers or remove the mailbox using EMC.
Once the account is deleted, the mailboxes are not deleted straightaway by default. They (should) appear in the Disconnected Mailbox section under Recipient Configuration in EMC. But, for some reason it doesn’t show up…
To correct this issue, you need to run a shell command. It will perform the same action as a “Run Cleanup Agent” in exchange 2003. The process will scan AD service for disconnected mailboxes that are not yet marked as disconnected in exchange store and update it.
Run Clean-MailboxDatabase “serverdatabase name”
If you head to the Disconnected Mailbox section now, there it is. The deleted mailbox!
You can connect it to a different user, permanently delete it or wait for exchange to purge it depending on your retention settings.
Thanks bro; it really helped me
Thanks Abid
Just passing by and thought i’d add on – don’t kill yourself looking for very recently created and subsequently deleted mailboxes, keep in mind a mailbox which has never been logged into and is deleted (disabled/removed) will not be recoverable because a mailbox has to receive a message or be logged into for the mailbox to be officially created. Running the Test-MAPIConnectivity Cmdlet against the mailbox will also officially create the mailbox. MM
Thanks for the tip Mike.
Just adding to the chorus. Found you on a google search, this was the perfect answer to my problem.
Thanks Chuck
wow you have just solved my problem.
thank u so much:-)
Thanks Happy.
GREAT … this works like a charm…
Multo Grazie…
Thanks Armin.
Thanks.
You saved 3 week of my work. thanks
Glad to know that the post helped you.
Whish I had looked into this sooner, wasted half a day struggling with BackupExec. After having given up on that, I had a glimmer of hope realising it could just be a bug that the deleted mailbox wasn't showing up. Lo and behold, there it was.
Thanks! Eventhough now I have to review our backup strategy.
Thanks.
Huge help for me in a hurry, thanks for the good info share!!
Good to know. Thanks.
Thanks. It worked for me too.
Amosgiture@gmail.com
Thanks for the comment, Anonymous!
Just what I was looking for!
Many Thanks.