Complete remove Exchange 2010/2013 using ADSIEdit

Thanks to: https://blog.dargel.at/

The need to remove an Exchange 2013 server using ADSIEdit could have several reasons. The method using ADSIEdit to remove an Exchange server should only be used carefully.

The most common reasons are listed below:

The deinstallation didn’t finish properly and left attributes or entries in Active Directory

The Exchange server is permanent offline and Exchange should be removed

An Exchange installation didn’t finish properly and the attributes and entries should be removed

To remove the server open ADSI-Edit and go to configuration

Navigate to this path:

CN=Configuration,DC=DOMAIN,DC=LOCAL

CN=Services

->; DELETE

CN=Microsoft Exchange

CN=Microsoft Exchange Autodiscover

CN=Default naming context,DC=DOMAIN,DC=LOCAL

->; DELETE

CN=Microsoft Exchange Security Groups

CN=Microsoft Exchange Security Objects

Additional steps:

Hard Disk:

On the server’s hard disk you’ve to DELETE the Exchange Server installation folder.

Usually it’s C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server

IIS:

DELETE the Exchange Back End and Front End websites with the IIS-Manager

AD Users and Computers:

DELETE the following users in the “Users” container:

DiscoverySearch Mailbox{GUID}

Exchange Online-ApplicationAccount

FederatedEmail.GUID

Migration.GUID

*SystemMailbox{GUID}

*HealthMailboxGUID

Registry:

DELETE the key “ExchangeServer” under:

HKLM\Software\Microsoft

DELETE the keys “MSExchange*” under:

HKLM\CurrentControlSet\Services