Remove-MailUser in Exchange doesn't work

Question

Remove-MailUser in Exchange doesn't work

Dirk Geneugelijk 0

Hello, I have to remove a mailuser from Exchange Online. I use this command: Remove-MailUser "4612299d-ae41-4423-a13f-f9576862eee6"

Write-ErrorMessage : Ex4215D1|Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.ManagementObjectNotFoundException|Recipient "XXXXX
CNF:4612299d-ae41-4423-a13f-f9576862eee6" couldn't be read from domain controller "PA6P191A01DC002.EURP191A001.PROD.
OUTLOOK.COM". This may be due to replication delays. Switching out of Forest mode should allow this operation to com
plete successfully.
At C:\Users\dgene\AppData\Local\Temp\tmpEXO_l1dwninn.vjx\tmpEXO_l1dwninn.vjx.psm1:1192 char:13
+             Write-ErrorMessage $ErrorObject
+             ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (Administratie m...3f-f9576862eee6:ADObjectId) [Remove-MailUser], Manag
   ementObjectNotFoundException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : [Server=AM9P191MB1860,RequestId=d0b134c5-6445-95f4-f947-641c5c84ea6b,TimeStamp=Fri, 0
   2 Feb 2024 15:05:39 GMT],Write-ErrorMessage

When I use this command: Remove-MailUser "4612299d-ae41-4423-a13f-f9576862eee6" -PermanentlyDelete

Write-ErrorMessage : |Microsoft.Exchange.Management.Tasks.RecipientTaskException|The mail enabled user you are tryin
g to permanently delete is not in a soft deleted state. Please make sure you soft delete the mail enabled user first
 before trying to permanently delete.
At C:\Users\dgene\AppData\Local\Temp\tmpEXO_l1dwninn.vjx\tmpEXO_l1dwninn.vjx.psm1:1192 char:13
+             Write-ErrorMessage $ErrorObject
+             ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (XXXX...3f-f9576862eee6:ADObjectId) [Remove-MailUser], Recip
   ientTaskException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : [Server=AM9P191MB1860,RequestId=687c3950-aa16-b63d-ec08-9c4fa2c2a654,TimeStamp=Fri, 0
   2 Feb 2024 15:13:51 GMT],Write-ErrorMessage

Can anyone help me to force to delete this account?

Neha 0 Reputation points

2025-12-05T10:11:01.33+00:00

Hi,

Was this issue resolved with the help of MSFT Support Team?

1 answer

Your answer

Neha 0 Reputation points

2025-12-05T10:11:01.33+00:00

Hi,

Was this issue resolved with the help of MSFT Support Team?

Answer 1

Rich Matheisen 48,026

Can you use Get-Recipient to get the object? If so, try piping the result into the Remove-MailUser (assuming the object is a mail user and not something else like a mailbox, contact, shared mailbox, etc.). This is really more an Exchange or O365 problem than a PowerShell issue.

Dirk Geneugelijk 0

Thank you, but unfortunately it didn't work:

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> get-recipient "4612299d-ae41-4423-a13f-f9576862eee6" | Remove-MailUser -PermanentlyDelete
Write-ErrorMessage : |Microsoft.Exchange.Management.Tasks.RecipientTaskException|The mail enabled user you
 are trying to permanently delete is not in a soft deleted state. Please make sure you soft delete the mai
l enabled user first before trying to permanently delete.
At C:\Users\dgene\AppData\Local\Temp\tmpEXO_cfstm132.neb\tmpEXO_cfstm132.neb.psm1:1192 char:13
+             Write-ErrorMessage $ErrorObject
+             ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (Administratie m...3f-f9576862eee6:ADObjectId) [Remove-MailUs
   er], RecipientTaskException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : [Server=PAXP191MB1871,RequestId=fbe22285-ea38-14e0-13fa-4b868589d21f,TimeSt
   amp=Sat, 03 Feb 2024 11:17:25 GMT],Write-ErrorMessage

Rich Matheisen 48,026 Reputation points

2024-02-03T16:26:03.4466667+00:00

Have you used the Remove-Mailuser without the "-PermanentlyDelete" switch to "soft-delete" the mailuser before trying to permanently remove the mailuser? That -PermanentlyDelete switch only works if the mailuser was previously soft-deleted. If you have, you'd also have to use the -SoftDeletedMailUser switch on the Get-MailUser. This is still an Exchange problem, not a PowerShell problem though. Make sure you read the help for the PowerShell cmdlets and that you understand the environment in which you're working.
Kai Yao 37,776 Reputation points Moderator

2024-02-05T02:24:54.94+00:00
Hi @Dirk Geneugelijk

Just add some information on the PermanentlyDelete parameter:

Can you get the mail user via:

Get-MailUser "4612299d-ae41-4423-a13f-f9576862eee6"

If not, try:

Get-MailUser "4612299d-ae41-4423-a13f-f9576862eee6" -SoftDeletedMailUser

If it is in the result, you can use the following cmdlet to purge the soft deleted mail user:

Get-MailUser "4612299d-ae41-4423-a13f-f9576862eee6" -SoftDeletedMailUser | Remove-MailUser -PermanentlyDelete

Dirk Geneugelijk 0

Thank you. Yes, I get result with: Get-MailUser "4612299d-ae41-4423-a13f-f9576862eee6" When I run: Get-MailUser "4612299d-ae41-4423-a13f-f9576862eee6" | Remove-MailUser -PermanentlyDelete I get still the same error:

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> Get-MailUser "4612299d-ae41-4423-a13f-f9576862eee6" | Remove-MailUser -PermanentlyDelete
Write-ErrorMessage : |Microsoft.Exchange.Management.Tasks.RecipientTaskException|The mail enabled user you
 are trying to permanently delete is not in a soft deleted state. Please make sure you soft delete the mai
l enabled user first before trying to permanently delete.
At C:\Users\dgene\AppData\Local\Temp\tmpEXO_h3ctq11s.j52\tmpEXO_h3ctq11s.j52.psm1:1192 char:13
+             Write-ErrorMessage $ErrorObject
+             ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (XXX...3f-f9576862eee6:ADObjectId) [Remove-MailUs
   er], RecipientTaskException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : [Server=PAXP191MB1871,RequestId=19c8625f-b23a-c3be-b1fd-d33213b0c1e3,TimeSt
   amp=Mon, 05 Feb 2024 06:54:29 GMT],Write-ErrorMessage

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32>

Kai Yao 37,776 Moderator

Please run this cmdlet first:

Get-MailUser "4612299d-ae41-4423-a13f-f9576862eee6" | Remove-MailUser

Then this cmdlet:

Get-MailUser "4612299d-ae41-4423-a13f-f9576862eee6" -SoftDeletedMailUser | Remove-MailUser -PermanentlyDelete

Dirk Geneugelijk 0

Thanks, this is the error on te first cmdlet:

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> Get-MailUser "4612299d-ae41-4423-a13f-f9576862eee6" | Remove-MailUser
Write-ErrorMessage : Ex4215D1|Microsoft.Exchange.Configuration.Tasks.ManagementObjectNotFoundException|Rec
ipient "Administratie medTzorg Advies
CNF:4612299d-ae41-4423-a13f-f9576862eee6" couldn't be read from domain controller "VE1P191A01DC001.EURP191
A001.PROD.OUTLOOK.COM". This may be due to replication delays. Switching out of Forest mode should allow t
his operation to complete successfully.
At C:\Users\dgene\AppData\Local\Temp\tmpEXO_h3ctq11s.j52\tmpEXO_h3ctq11s.j52.psm1:1192 char:13
+             Write-ErrorMessage $ErrorObject
+             ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (XXX...3f-f9576862eee6:ADObjectId) [Remove-MailUs
   er], ManagementObjectNotFoundException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : [Server=PAXP191MB1871,RequestId=cbfd50c3-2ef8-5d2c-8ffa-4f0728dbe71a,TimeSt
   amp=Mon, 05 Feb 2024 07:04:37 GMT],Write-ErrorMessage

Kai Yao 37,776 Reputation points Moderator

2024-02-05T07:09:24.2+00:00

Thanks for the information. Please creating a service request in Microsoft 365 admin center to contact support to see if they can help you remove this mail user in backend.
Kai Yao 37,776 Reputation points Moderator

2024-02-08T06:47:06.7166667+00:00

Hi @Dirk Geneugelijk I am writing here to confirm with you how thing going now? Was this issue resolved?
Dirk Geneugelijk 0 Reputation points

2024-02-08T07:54:52.34+00:00

Hi Kael, no, unfortunately not. I have asked it to Microsoft 365 admin center, but the ticket is still waiting.

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Remove-MailUser in Exchange doesn't work

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