How to delete the First Mailbox Database in Exchange 2013

Once Exchange Server 2013 installation gets completed, it will create the default mailboxes (Administrator and Discovery Mailbox) and the Arbitration Mailboxes on the default Mailbox Database. If you try to delete the first mailbox database you will get the below error message. The reason is, to delete a mailbox database there should not be any mailbox available on that database, and either those mailboxes to be deleted or moved to other database.



 

Full Error Message:
This mailbox database contains one or more mailboxes, mailbox plans, archive mailboxes, public folder 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 public folder mailboxes in this database, run the command
Get-Mailbox -Database <Database ID> -PublicFolder.

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.

To disable a public folder mailbox so that you can delete the mailbox database, run the command Disable-Mailbox <Mailbox ID> -PublicFolder.

Arbitration mailboxes should be moved to another server; to do this, run the command New-MoveRequest <parameters>.

f 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 Delete the First Mailbox Database

1. Find the Mailboxes available on the Default first mailbox database
   
2. Move all the Mailboxes including the Arbitration Mailbox from the first database to other database
   
3. Delete the First Mailbox Database
   
4. Remove the files associated with the first mailbox Database
   

Step 1: To find all Mailboxes in the first default database


To find all the arbitration mailboxes
Get-Mailbox -Arbitration



Step 2: Move all the Mailboxes including the Arbitration Mailbox from the first database to other database
Create a new mailbox database to which the existing mailboxes from default mailbox database are to be moved. Normal user mailbox and Search Mailbox can be moved as shown below

Get-Mailbox discovery* | New-MoveRequest - TargetDatabase "Mailbox Database 1"



And below shows the details on how to move the arbitration mailbox to other mailbox database in Exchange Server 2013.

Get-Mailbox -Arbitration | New-MoveRequest - TargetDatabase "Mailbox Database 1"
Get-MoveRequest


Once all the mailboxes from first database has been moved to different database, then you can delete the first mailbox database

Step 3: Delete the first Mailbox Database
Right click the default mailbox database and click the delete option -> on the warning prompt click Yes to delete the default Mailbox Database



Step 4: Delete the database files related to first mailbox database
As shown below, once a database is deleted it will not delete the .edb and log files associated with that database, we have to manually delete those log file to free up disk space.