Uninstall Exchange 2000

[bobbytupper]

I am trying to uninstall Exchange 2000, I get a message saying that I can't because one or more users have their mailboxes homed on the server and if I move or mail disable then I will be abled to uninstall. Using ldp.exe I have found that their are 2 mailboxes homed on the server in question
1. System attendant
2. SMTP

Apparently the SMTP is the mailbox used to transpose between the exchange engines.

Has anyone had this before or know what I need to do ?

 

[zoeythecat]

Bobby,

I had to call Microsoft awhile back to find out how to remove Exchange2000. I will just paste the comments the Microsoft Engineer emailed me. Hope this helps. This may be a little sloppy (I see the way it is pasted here). If you need me to email you the email from Microsoft let me know your email address. He also sent a kill mail utility that I did not include here.

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You can remove E2k from Active Directory in 2 ways:

The less-dangerous method is:

Run the Setup for the Active Directory Connector on the E2k CD, select Remove All.

Go to Active Directory Sites and Services (Show Services Node must be enabled from View) on the DC/GC à Services à Microsoft Exchange. Right click and delete “Microsoft Exchange.”

Then go to Active Directory Sites and Services ==> Sites==> Default-First-Site-Name (or whatever your Site name is) ==> Servers ==> Servername (i.e. your DC/GC) ==> NTDS Settings. If there is an “Exchange Settings” folder under the DC, delete it. In the right Panel will be any other DCs you have in the IP Site/Domain. Right click on <automatically generated> for any DC/GCs that you see, select Replicate Now. This will replicate the deletion of E2k from Active Directory to all your other DCs.



The more dangerous method is:


Run the Setup for the Active Directory Connector on the E2k CD, select Remove All.



Open up Adsiedit from the Windows 2000 Support Tools, Programs à Windows 2000 Support Tools à Tools à Adsiedit.



Expand the Configuration Container à CN=Services à CN=Microsoft Exchange. Delete the “Microsoft Exchange” object. Replicate to all your DCs.





After using either 1. or 2., go to Active Directory users and Computers, from View à Advanced Features. Deleted the “Microsoft Exchange System Objects” Container. In Users OU, deleted the “Exchange Enterprise Servers” and Exchange Domain Servers” Groups.






After using either Step 1 or 2, and removing the objects in Step 3, and REPLICATING to all DC/GCs in your W2k Organization, Active Directory in your W2k Organization will no nothing of E2k. Basically, Adsiedit can be seen as a Regedit-like view of the Active Directory. Precautions should be observed when using that tool, which is why I say it is “more dangerous.” However, both Step 1 and 2 are doing exactly the same thing—removing E2k from Active Directory.

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[bobbytupper]

thanks for your reply but I arent ttrying to remove it from AD I have multiple exchange servers on the network. I just need to remove Exchange from one server gracefully.

Any more ideas?

 

[zoeythecat]

Sorry, guess I misunderstood your situation.

Does this article help?

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;262250

 

[bobbytupper]

I wish it did I suppose my problem is the SMTP mailbox but I dont know how to remove it!

 

[zoeythecat]

If you know where the mailbox is can you &quot;disable this?&quot; Microsoft is stating that is what you have to do. By the way, &quot;System Attendant&quot; is a service not a mailbox. I've never heard of &quot;SMTP&quot; being a mailbox but maybe i'm wrong.

 

[bobbytupper]

System attandant has a mail box. The SMTP mailbox is a &quot;drop box&quot; for the exchange engines to swap messages.