Methods to Decommission Exchange Server – A Comprehensive Guide

Updated On - October 23, 2024 by Nasir Khan | Reading Time: 3 minutes

Summary: Decommissioning Exchange Server can become important if you are a regular MS Outlook user. But many users fail to decommission the server because they do not know the process. But there is nothing to worry about. Here we explain the process of decommissioning Exchange Server. We will also refer to an automatic product that will make all of this very easy.

Introduction
Many times, users are required to decommission their Exchange Server on MS Outlook. But have you ever thought about decommissioning? Well, it is a process to remove a Server from an environment and install a new server in its place. It is a very technical process and the one who undertakes this process must ensure that all the steps have been complied with. If any mistake is committed, then it may pose problems and affect the pre-installed servers. This can entirely disrupt the functioning of the MS Outlook. Here we will discuss the need of decommissioning and the methods to decommission the Exchange Server.

Reasons to decommission

There are various common reasons due to which users decommission Exchange Server. These are given as follows:

• When you migrate to a new Exchange Server.
• When you migrate to a new cloud provider such as Office 365.
• Your existing server encountered a failure
• Your server suffered from a hardware failure

Steps to decommission Exchange Server

Here are some common steps to decommission Exchange Server with ease.

1. Right-click on Start.
2. Click on Run and then type ADSIEdit.msc.
3. Open Configuration/Configuration Services.
4. Open Microsoft Exchange and then go to Your Organization.
5. Open Administrative Groups and Exchange Administrative Groups.
6. Open Databases and delete the desired databases from the list.

However, this method is not always safe. Users can end up losing data. Even in adverse circumstances users won’t be able to log-in to their accounts. That is why it is important to take these steps before practicing any of the methods.

A. Disable Arbitration Mailboxes

Enter the following Powershell Command. Here is the command.
Get-Mailbox-arbitration / Disable-mailbox-arbitration-disablelastarbitrationmailboxallowed

B. Delete all Mailboxes

Users can use the Powershell command to delete all mailboxes. Here is the command.
Get-mailbox/ disable-mailbox

C. Uninstall the existing server

It is very important as a part of the decommissioning process to uninstall the existing server properly. If the existing server is not uninstalled properly, then it will be leaving behind residues and this will disrupt the functioning of the email client. Therefore, while uninstalling the existing Exchange Server, you need to be mindful that you disjoin the Active Directory. If in case, it is a hybrid setup, then you should go ahead and install Exchange Server by first removing the hybrid configuration.

Enter the following command ‘Remove-HybridConfiguration-Confirm:$false’ and then remove the connectors by following the given steps:

a. Remove old connectors by following the given steps:

1. Open your Exchange Admin Center and then go to Mail Flow.
2. Click on Send Connectors and then delete all the Connectors.

If in case this method does not work for you, here are some additional methods in this category:

b. Set up your DNS and Schema

Whenever users migrate from one server to another, they end up facing a lot of issues. That is why it becomes necessary to simply shut down the server. If the server is not shut down properly, then it would keep on interfering with new email servers and hamper your work. In order to fix this, you must access ADSIEdit. All you need to do is to simply delete the entry CN= of class service Connection Point. Select the Configuration and press Enter.

c. Export Mailbox Data

There is a possibility that when you switch Servers, all of your data does not get migrated to a new system. This data can include your emails, attachments and other items of mailboxes. Therefore, in such a situation, you will have to re-export the missed data. Users can easily rely on New-MailboxExportRequest to export the missing files in the new server. But what happens if you completely forgot to restore the files. In such a case, a professional solution would be useful

Limitations

The methods that we have explained above are known for a lot of limitations. Not only are these methods lengthy but also time consuming. Therefore, in such a situation, you need to try your hands on an automatic solution in this regard.

An alternative method to decommission Exchange Server easily

Regain EDB to PST converter tool is a professional solution that helps to decommission the server easily. It reduces the risk of data loss and helps to recover the damaged and permanently deleted files as well. It works with all the versions of Windows and best tool for beginners. Users can export their EDB files in PST format and then store them in the form of backup for the best results.

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Conclusion
In such a situation, one could be in the position to conclude that decommissioning of the Exchange Server can be only made easy with the help of a professional solution. It is the best way to make things easier.