The mailbox database ‘Mailbox Database ‘ cannot be deleted.

When you want to delete the first and original Mailbox Database in an Exchange Server 2010 (SP1) environment, you will receive an error that you cannot delete the database because of the fact that there are still mailboxes present. When you look in the Exchange Management console you probably won’t see any mailboxes that use the Mailbox Database that you want to delete. (If you do move them! 🙂 ) The reason you are not able to delete the mailbox database is the fact that there are a couple of hidden mailboxes available, for instance the arbitration mailbox.

When deleting the mailbox database with arbitration mailbox still in the Mailbox database you will receive the following error:

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Microsoft Exchange Error
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The mailbox database ‘Mailbox Database <Database ID>’ cannot be deleted.

Mailbox Database <Database ID>
Failed
Error:
This mailbox database contains one or more mailboxes, mailbox plans, archive mailboxes, or arbitration mailboxes. To get a list of all mailboxes in this database, run the command Get-Mailbox -Database <Database ID>. To get a list of all mailbox plans in this database, run the command Get-MailboxPlan. To get a list of archive mailboxes in this database, run the command Get-Mailbox -Database <Database ID> -Archive. To get a list of all arbitration mailboxes in this database, run the command Get-Mailbox -Database <Database ID> -Arbitration. To disable a non-arbitration mailbox so that you can delete the mailbox database, run the command Disable-Mailbox <Mailbox ID>. To disable an archive mailbox so you can delete the mailbox database, run the command Disable-Mailbox <Mailbox ID> -Archive. Arbitration 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 Disable-Mailbox <Mailbox ID> -Arbitration -DisableLastArbitrationMailboxAllowed to disable the arbitration mailbox. Mailbox plans should be moved to another server; to do this, run the command Set-MailboxPlan <MailboxPlan ID> -Database <Database ID>.

To be able to delete the Mailbox Database you need to move the hidden arbitration mailbox first, this is done as follows:

get-mailbox -Database “Mailbox Database <Database ID>” -arbitration | New-MoveRequest -TargetDatabase “Mailbox database” -Confirm

DisplayName Status TotalMailboxSize TotalArchiveSize PercentComplete

———– —— —————- —————- —————
Microsoft Exchange Fed… Queued 0 B (0 bytes) 0
Microsoft Exchange App… Queued 0 B (0 bytes) 0
Microsoft Exchange Queued 75.64 KB (77,460 bytes) 0

After the move request is completed you are able to delete the Mailbox Database.

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