Remove-MailUser in Exchange doesn't work

Question

Remove-MailUser in Exchange doesn't work

Dirk Geneugelijk 5

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?

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Neha 0 Reputation points

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

Hi,

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

Neha 0 Reputation points

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

Hi,

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

This comment has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The comment was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.

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 5

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 5

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 5

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 5 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.

Answer 2

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Remove-MailUser in Exchange doesn't work

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