I have migrated a client to a cloud based Exchange solution, and have no need for Exchange on their old in house server. It is currently hosting other applications, so I can't simply shut it down and retire the server. I want to remove exchange. But during the Readiness Checks, I keep getting errors thrown at me, and since this is an Exchange 2010 server, the "Click here for help" links no longer work. I apparently have a few mailbox and the Public Folders still open, and every search I do on removing them wants to show me how to first migrate the mailboxes somewhere else. I just want to delete Exchange, and don't need to save or migrate or backup ANYTHING. I would love a box that says "Ignore errors and just delete", but that's not an option. Here's what the Readiness Check gives me:
Summary: 5 item(s). 4 succeeded, 1 failed.
Elapsed time: 00:00:26
Configuring Prerequisites
Completed
Elapsed Time: 00:00:00
Mailbox Role Prerequisites
Failed
Error:
Uninstall cannot continue. Database 'COMPANY Mailboxes': 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>.
Click here for help...
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=30939&l=en&v=ExBPA.14&id=4a96fd69-9cec-4a48-9571-5c9e8ab3cfe9
Error:
Uninstall cannot continue. Database 'COMPANY Public Folders': The public folder database "COMPANY Public Folders" contains folder replicas. Before deleting the public folder database, remove the folders or move the replicas to another public folder
database. For detailed instructions about how to remove a public folder database, seehttp://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=81409&clcid=0x409.
Click here for help...
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=30939&l=en&v=ExBPA.14&id=b6e3b32a-8848-46cb-9567-72288ac15f60
Elapsed Time: 00:00:10
Client Access Role Prerequisites
Completed
Elapsed Time: 00:00:07
Hub Transport Role Prerequisites
Completed
Elapsed Time: 00:00:06
Organization Prerequisites
Completed
Elapsed Time: 00:00:02
Any help would be greatly appreciated!